Enhanced 1.0 μm emission and simultaneously suppressed upconversion emission in Yb:PbF2 laser crystal codoped with NaF

Update time: 2013-06-21

 

Yb3+ is the most promising ion that can be used in a non-Nd3+ laser in the near-IR spectral range of 1030 nm,the Yb3+ ion has several advantages compared with Nd3+ due to its very simple energy level scheme, consisting of only two levels. This makes it possible to avoid upconversion, excited state absorption, and concentration quenching within a large concentration domain.Since the advance in commercialized laser diode sources allowed excitation of Yb3+ in the near-IR, several oxides and fluorides have been thoroughly investigated.

 

Researchers at Key Laboratory of High Power Laser Materials——Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fines Mechanics (SIOM/China) successfully prepared

Yb-doped Yb:PbF2 crystals. It was found that Na+ ions act as the charge compensators to enhance the Yb3+ near-IR emissions (~0.1μm), broaden the emission bands, lengthen the fluorescence lifetime, and simultaneously suppress the upconversion emission. Na3+ ions also effectively suppress the formation of Yb2+ ions, preventing the fluorescence quenching of the Yb3+ emission.[ LASER PHYSICS LETTERS ,10(4),045803]

Na-codoped and only Yb-doped Yb:PbF2 crystals were successfully grown using the vertical Bridgman method. The influence of the ions codoped with Na+ on the distribution coefficients has been studied. Enhanced  emission and simultaneously suppressed upconversion emission was observed for Yb:PbF2 crystals codoped with 2 mol% NaF. A time-resolved spectroscopy study showed that the ions codoped with Na+ lengthen the fluorescence lifetime by 6%. Absorption spectra were also studied and showed that the ions codoped with Na+ can effectively suppress the formation of Yb2+ ions.

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