CTH:YAG : from laser medium to luminescent concentrator

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Optics and Photonics

Background:

• Conventional laser emission from crystals is widely studied.
• Spontaneous emission from crystals is less explored for directed light applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate a new application of CTH:YAG crystals for spontaneous emission.
• To explore the potential of luminescent concentrators for enhanced light collection.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a CTH:YAG crystal in a luminescent concentrator configuration.
• Indirectly LED-pumped the CTH:YAG with a Ce:YAG source (3.5 ms pulses, 10 Hz, 2 J visible light).
• Optimized the configuration for efficient light extraction.

Main Results:

• Achieved broadband spontaneous emission from the CTH:YAG crystal between 1.8 µm and 2.1 µm.
• The luminescent concentrator configuration yielded a power of 1 W and brightness of 21.2 W/cm²/sr.
• Demonstrated a unique combination of power and brightness for SWIR applications.

Conclusions:

• This work presents a novel use of CTH:YAG crystals for spontaneous emission.
• The developed luminescent concentrator shows promise for efficient SWIR lighting solutions.
• The achieved power and brightness metrics are significant for potential applications.