Effects of Pr3+ doping concentration on optical properties of LaF3 crystal. (April 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Fang, Qiannan; Huang, Conghui; Zhang, Yuxia; Zhao, Chengchun; Cai, Shuang; Li, Shanming; Hang, Yin
• Is Part Of: Optics & laser technology. Volume 159(2023)
• Publication Date: 2023-04
• Subjects: LaF3 -- Pr -- Doping concentration -- Visible laser; Optics -- Periodicals; Lasers -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 621.366
• DOI: 10.1016/j.optlastec.2022.109021
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0030-3992

Abstract

Highlights: The Pr:LaF3 crystals with different doping concentrations were grown by the Bridgman method with the dimension is about Φ20 mm × 30 mm. The effects of Pr 3+ doping concentration on the LaF3 crystal optical properties were expounded for the first time. The continuous-wave (cw) deep red laser were obtained with different doping concentrations of Pr:LaF3 crystals pumped by an blue laser diode for the first time. Abstract: The crystal compositions, fluorescence lifetimes, polarized absorption and emission spectra, and laser performance were measured with different doping concentrations of Pr:LaF3 crystals. Moreover, the effects of Pr 3+ doping concentration on LaF3 crystal optical properties were expounded for the first time. The study found that high doping concentration is easy to cause cross-relaxation, which in turn leads to a decrease in the lifetime of the laser upper energy level. And then affects the output efficiency of the visible laser. The laser experiment results confirm that the maximum output power of 176 mW was obtained with Pr:LaF3 crystal of 0.5 at.% doping concentration, which is higher than output power (71.3 mW) of 1 at.% doping concentration crystal. As we all know, this is the first report about continuous-wave (cw) laser operation with Pr:LaF3 crystal pumped by an blue laser diode.