Lasing of Yb in a mixed YGdVO4 crystal with bistability and polarization switching

Junhai Liu; Huaijin Zhang; Xavier Mateos; Wenjuan Han; Valentin Petrov

doi:10.1117/12.808495

27 February 2009 Lasing of Yb in a mixed YGdVO₄ crystal with bistability and polarization switching

Junhai Liu, Huaijin Zhang, Xavier Mateos, Wenjuan Han, Valentin Petrov

Proceedings Volume 7193, Solid State Lasers XVIII: Technology and Devices; 71930Q (2009) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.808495
Event: SPIE LASE: Lasers and Applications in Science and Engineering, 2009, San Jose, California, United States

Abstract

The orthovanadate crystals YVO₄, GdVO₄, and LuVO₄ attract much attention as promising host materials for the trivalent Yb-ion since such crystals are characterized by large absorption and emission cross sections, broad absorption and emission bands, and higher thermal conductivities than most of the other Yb-doped materials. More interestingly, their laser operation is characterized by optical bistability, apparently a unique feature of Yb-doped vanadates, not found so far in other Yb-lasers or even in other solid-state lasers. The optically "passive" vanadates, YVO₄, GdVO₄, and LuVO4, as well as the stoichiometric YbVO₄ exhibit the same zircon structure and continuous isostructural solid solutions can be expected. The absorption and emission spectra of Yb_0.0054:Y_0.3481Gd_0.6465VO₄, a specific compound in the mixed Yb_t:Y_xGd_1-x-tVO₄ series, inherit the spectroscopic features of both Yb:YVO₄ and Yb:GdVO₄. We found that this Yb-doped solid solution also displays optical bistability in continuous-wave (cw) laser operation. The strongly pronounced bistability extends from P_abs=1.9 W to P_abs=3.4 W while the output power amounts to 0.98 W at the upthreshold. Distinct from the previously reported Yb:LuVO₄ laser, coexistence and switching of the σ and π polarization states occur along with emission wavelength shift in the bistability region upon decreasing the pump power. Increasing the output coupling reduces the bistability region while expanding the coexistence region for the σ and π polarization states.

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Junhai Liu, Huaijin Zhang, Xavier Mateos, Wenjuan Han, and Valentin Petrov "Lasing of Yb in a mixed YGdVO₄ crystal with bistability and polarization switching", Proc. SPIE 7193, Solid State Lasers XVIII: Technology and Devices, 71930Q (27 February 2009); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.808495

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KEYWORDS

Bistability

Crystals

Polarization

Absorption

Laser crystals

Ytterbium

Switching

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