Broadly tunable high-power Yb:Lu(2)O(3) thin disk laser with 80% slope efficiency

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Laser Physics
• Optoelectronics

Background:

• High-power lasers are crucial for various scientific and industrial applications.
• Ytterbium-doped materials are attractive laser gain media due to their favorable spectroscopic properties.
• Thin disk laser architecture offers excellent thermal management for high-power operation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the laser performance of crystalline Yb3+:Lu2O3 in a thin disk configuration.
• To optimize crystal parameters, including doping concentration and disk thickness, for efficient laser operation.
• To achieve high output power and efficiency in Yb3+:Lu2O3 thin disk lasers.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of Yb3+:Lu2O3 crystalline disks with varying doping concentrations (1-3 at.%) and thicknesses (0.08-0.45 mm).
• Characterization of laser performance using 976 nm diode laser pumping.
• Measurement of output power, slope efficiency, and optical-to-optical efficiency.
• Tuning range investigation using a birefringent filter.

Main Results:

• Optimized crystal parameters were determined for efficient laser operation.
• A 0.25 mm thick, 3 at.% Yb3+:Lu2O3 disk achieved 32.6 W output power at 45.3 W pump power.
• Record slope efficiency of 80% and optical-to-optical efficiency of 72% were realized.
• Continuous tuning from 987 nm to 1127 nm with over 10 W output power was demonstrated over a 90 nm range.

Conclusions:

• Crystalline Yb3+:Lu2O3 is a highly efficient gain medium for thin disk lasers.
• The achieved efficiencies represent the highest reported for Yb-doped thin disk lasers.
• These results highlight the potential of Yb3+:Lu2O3 thin disk lasers for high-power and tunable laser applications.