Diode pumped holmium, thulium and erbium lasers between 2 and 3 micrometers operating cw at room temperature

Leon Esterowitz

doi:10.1117/12.55628

1 June 1990 Diode pumped holmium, thulium and erbium lasers between 2 and 3 micrometers operating cw at room temperature

Leon Esterowitz

Author Affiliations +

Optical Engineering, Vol. 29, Issue 6, (June 1990). https://doi.org/10.1117/12.55628

Abstract

Diode-pumped cw lasers operating between 2 and 3 µm in the heavy rare-earth activator ions are reviewed. In Ho,Tm:YAG we demonstrated high efficiency using Tm as the sensitizer ion, which absorbed the pump radiation. This is followed by a cross-relaxation process, which allows two excited Tm ions to be produced from one absorbed photon. There is rapid energy migration among the Tm ions, followed by energy transfer to the Ho ion. The 2 pm laser action is to a level 460 cm-1 above the ground state. In Tm,Ho:YLF we demonstrated cw cascade laser emission at 2.31 and 2.08 µm. Above threshold for both transitions, two infrared photons are produced for each absorbed pump photon. The theoretical slope efficiency of this system is 72.3% for pumping at 0.791 µm. In Er:YLF, cw laser emission at 2.8 pm with a 10% slope efficiency was demonstrated. The laser transition is normally self-terminating, but an upconversion process, which depopulates the lower laser level and populates the upper laser level, allows this transition to operate in a cw mode.

Citation Download Citation

Leon Esterowitz "Diode pumped holmium, thulium and erbium lasers between 2 and 3 micrometers operating cw at room temperature," Optical Engineering 29(6), (1 June 1990). https://doi.org/10.1117/12.55628

Published: 1 June 1990

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available