激光二极管抽运Na，Yb：CaF2晶体实现低阈值激光输出

与Nd^3+相比，Yb^3+具有能级结构简单，本征量子缺陷低(<0．1)，辐射量子效率高，而且吸收和发射光谱非常宽，适合激光二极管(LD)抽运宽带调谐激光运转和超短脉冲的产生。特别是掺Yb晶体适合高亮度的InGaAs激光二极管抽运，从而成为近年来激光二极管抽运全固态激光器中备受关注的增益介质。但是掺Yb激光晶体属三能级系统，抽运阈值普遍较高。因此，寻找低阈值、实用化掺Yb晶体介质是近年来激光晶体的重要发展方向．

激光二极管抽运新型Yb：GSO晶体实现激光运转

作为发射波段在1μm的激光二极管(LD)抽运全固态激光器的增益介质，掺Yb晶体非常大的具有吸引力。Yb离子具有简单的电子结构，预防了激发态重复吸收、上转换以及浓度淬灭带来的激光损耗。而且，掺Yb介质的量子缺陷比较低可以产生相对大的斜效率和低热负载。近年来，掺Yb介质一些有效的激光运转已经得到证明，如Yb：YAG，Yb：YAB以及Yb：BOYS等。迄今为止，人们仍在进行各种尝试以得到发射荧光谱宽，低阈值运转的激光晶体。

激光二极管抽运Na，Yb共掺CaF2晶体自调Q激光特性的研究

利用激光二极管（LD）抽运新型Na．Yb共掺CaF2（Na．Yb：CaF2）晶体，获得了1．05μm的自调Q激光输出。利用透射率1％的耦合输出镜，得到最低激光输出的抽运阈值功率仅为70mW。在透射率为2％的输出镜条件下，得到最大输出激光功率为390mw，此时激光的斜度效率达到20%。实验详细记录了自调Q脉冲的周期和宽度随抽运功率的变化关系，随着抽运功率的增加，自调Q脉冲的周期和宽度呈指数衰减。同时，还采用单棱镜进行光谱调谐实验，获得了1036～1059nm的自调Q激光调谐输出。

LD抽运新型Yb：LYSO晶体实现1085nm激光输出

Yb^3＋激光材料在900～980nm范围具有较强的吸收，能与高效的InGaAs激光二极管（波长为9001100nm）有效地耦合，且能级简单，抽运波长与振荡波长相近，量子效率高。这些优点十分有利于在1000nm附近实现超快高功率激光输出。而随着高性能InGaAs激光二极管的发展和成本的降低，近年来，掺Yb^3＋激光介质的研究受到人们的极大关注，并研制出了许多新型激光晶体，如Yb：YAG，Yb：KYW，Yb：GdVO4，Yb：SYS，Yb：YAB，

Yb：YAG及Cr，Yb：YAG晶体的发光特性

研究了室温下Yb：YAG的上转换荧光光谱，此荧光归因于Yb^3＋离子的“合作”发光和Yb抖离子到稀土杂质离子的能量转移。测试了Yb；YAG晶体的X射线荧光，发光峰对应于电荷迁移态到Yb^3＋离子的基态、激光态间的跃迁。研究了Cr，Yb：YAG晶体的荧光光谱。讨论了Cr^4＋激光输出的可能性。

Yb：FAP晶体生长

采用中频感应提拉法生长了Yb：FAP晶体。对晶体生长中影响晶体质量的因素特别是原料的处理、CaF2的挥发等进行了研究和讨论。运用ICP-AES测定Yb^3＋离子在Yb：FAP晶体中的分凝系数。对Yb：FAP晶体进行了高分辨X射线的四圆衍射实验，结果表明晶体具有比较高的晶格完整性。

Diode-pumped Yb : YAG ceramic laser

Transparent polycrystalline Yb:YAG ceramics were fabricated by solid-state reactive sintering a mixture of commercial Al2O3, Y2O3, and Yb2O3 powders. The powders were mixed in ethanol and doped with 0.5 wt% tetraethoxysilane, dried, and pressed. Pressed samples were sintered at 1730 degrees C in vacuum. Transparent fully dense samples with grain sizes of several micrometers were obtained. The phase from 1500 degrees to 1700 degrees C was important for the grain growth, in which the grains grew quickly and a mass of pores were eliminated from the body of the sample. Annealing was an important step to remove the vacancies of oxygen and transform Yb2+ to Yb3+. The 1 at.% Yb:YAG ceramic sample was pumped by a diode laser to study the laser properties. The maximum output power of 1.02 W was obtained with a slope efficiency of 25% at 1030 nm. The size of the lasering sample was 4 mm x 4 mm x 3 mm.

Growth and spectroscopic characteristics of Yb : LPS single crystal

For the first time, a high optical quality Yb3+-doped lutetium pyrosilicate laser crystal Lu2Si2O7 (LPS) was grown by the Czochralski (Cz) method. The segregation coefficient of ytterbium ion in Yb:LPS crystal detected by the inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometer (TCP-AES) method is equal to 0.847. X-ray powder diffraction result confirms the C2/m phase monoclinic space group of the grown crystal and the peaks corresponding to different phases were indexed. The absorption and fluorescence spectra, as well as fluorescence decay lifetime of Yb3+ ion in LPS have been investigated. The absorption and fluorescence cross-sections of the transitions F-2(7/2) <-> F-2(5/2) of Yb3+ ion in LPS crystal have been determined. The advantages of the Yb:LPS crystal including high crystal quality, quasi-four-level laser operating scheme, high absorption cross-sections (1.33 x 10(-2) cm(2)) and particularly broad emission bandwidth (similar to 62 nm) indicated that the Yb:LPS crystal seemed to be a promising candidate used as compact, efficient thin chip lasers when LD is pumped at 940 and 980 nm due to its low-symmetry monoclinic structure and single crystallographic site. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Infrared to visible upconversion fluorescence in Yb,Tm : YAG single crystal

Absorption spectrum from 400 to 2000 run and upconversion fluorescence spectra under 940 nm pumping of YAG single crystal codoped with 5 at.% Yb3+ and 4 at.% Tm3+ were studied at room temperature. The blue upconversion emission centered at 483 nm corresponds to the transition (1)G(4) -> H-3(6), the emission band around 646 nm corresponds to the transition (1)G(4) -> F-3(4) of Tm3+. Energy transfer from Yb3+ to Tm3+ is mainly nonradiative and the transfer efficiency was experimentally assessed. The line strengths, transition probabilities and radiative lifetimes of (1)G(4) level were calculated by using Judd-Ofelt theory. Gain coefficient calculated from spectra shows that the upconversion corresponding with transitions (1)G(4) -> H-3(6) in YAG doped with Yb3+ and Tm3+ is potentially useful for blue light Output. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Diode-pumped Yb : GSO femtosecond laser

Compact femtosecond laser operation of Yb:Gd2SiO5 (Yb:GSO) crystal was demonstrated under high-brightness diode-end-pumping. A semiconductor saturable absorption mirror was used to start passive mode-locking. Stable mode-locking could be realized near the emission bands around 1031, 1048, and 1088 nm, respectively. The mode-locked Yb: GSO laser could be tuned from one stable mode-locking band to another with adjustable pulse durations in the range 1 similar to 100 ps by slightly aligning laser cavity to allow laser oscillations at different central wavelengths. A pair of SF10 prisms was inserted into the laser cavity to compensate for the group velocity dispersion. The mode-locked pulses centered at 1031 nm were compressed to 343 fs under a typical operation situation with a maximum output power of 396 mW. (c) 2007 Optical Society of America.

Group delay dispersion measurement of Yb : Gd2SiO5, Yb : GdYSiO5 and Yb : LuYSiO5 crystal with white-light interferometry

We report the measured group delay dispersion (GDD) of new crystals Yb:Gd2SiO5 (Yb:GSO), Yb:GdYSiO5 (Yb:GYSO) and Yb:LuYSiO5 (Yb:LYSO) over wavelengths from 1000nm to 1200nm, with a white-light interferometer. Those GDD data should be useful for the dispersion compensation for femtosecond pulse generation in the lasers with these new crystals as the gain media. (C) 2007 Optical Society of America

Growth and spectral properties of Yb : FAP single crystal

In this paper, single crystal of ytterbium (Yb) doped Ca-5(PO4)(3)F (FAP) has been grown along the c-axis by using the Czochralski method. The segregation coefficients of Yb3+ in the Yb:FAP crystal has been determined by ICP-AES method. The absorption spectrum, fluorescence spectrum and fluorescence lifetime of the Yb:FAP crystal has been also measured at room temperature. In the absorption spectra, there are two absorption bands at 904 and 982 nm, respectively, which are suitable for InGaAs diode laser pumping. The absorption cross-section (sigma(abs)) is 5.117 x 10(-20) cm(2) with an FWHM of 4 nm at 982 nm. The emission cross-section is (sigma(em)) 3.678 x 10(-20) cm(2) at 1042 nm. Favorable values of the absorption cross-section at about 982 nm are promising candidates for laser diode (LD) pumping. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Growth of high quality Cr, Yb codoped gadolinium gallium garnet (Gd3Ga5O12) crystal and its spectral properties

The Cr(0.1%),Yb(10%):GGG crystals have been grown by the Czochralski method. The chemical composition is: Yb0.33Gd2.47Cr0.005Ga5.2O12. There are no observed Yb3+ ions substituting Ga3+ ions, just like that of Yb:GGG crystals. The defects in Cr,Yb:GGG crystal were also investigated. The absorption and emission spectra of Cr,Yb:GGG crystal at room temperature have been measured. The 02 and H-2 annealing effect of Cr,Yb:GGG crystal have been compared. Cr3+ can greatly weak the visible luminescence of this crystal. The Cr-Yb-codoped crystals may be potential materials for compact, efficient, high stability LD pumped solid state lasers. (C) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparison of fluorescence spectra of Yb : Y3Al5O12 and Yb : YALO(3) single crystals

Yb:Y3Al5O12 (Yb:YAG) single crystals with Yb doping concentration 0.5 at.%, 5 at.%, 15 at.%, 25 at.%, 50 at.%, 100 at.% and Yb:YAlO3 (Yb:YAP) single crystals with Yb doping concentration 0.5 at.%, 5 at.%, 15 at.%, 30 at.% were grown by the Czochralski process. The fluorescence spectra of these crystals and the effects of self-absorption on the shape of the fluorescence spectra were studied. Through comparing the fluorescence spectra of Yb:YAG and Yb:YAP, all results indicate that the effects of self-absorption on the fluorescence spectra of Yb:YAP are remarkably stronger than that of Yb:YAG at the same Yb concentration. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.