Ceramic-based materials have shown to be a competitive alternative to single crystals for SSLs especially in case of high power applications. [1,2] The ceramic process is highly flexible in terms of feasible geometries and shapes. Ceramics can be shaped with complex architectures and multiple compositions that allow the control and minimization of the thermal lens effect. The exploitation of the flexibility of the ceramic process gives a real advantage over crystalline equivalent laser gain media. This study focuses on the production process of ceramic laser sources with complex shapes and structured doping. Innovative solutions have been obtained using the tape casting technique in combination with thermal compression of ceramic tapes with a tailored modulation of the doping level. In Fig.1 an example of a multilayered ceramic component obtained with this technique is reported. In order to make the presented process the more adaptable as possible, commercial micrometric ceramic powders have been used. The obtained results will be compared with the performances obtained with nanometric powders and other ceramic processing techniques such as linear and cold isostatic pressing. In all cases the densification process is conducted in a high vacuum, clean (carbon-free) environment. The study focusses on YAG (Y3Al5O12) based components variously doped with Yb3+ as active element. The microstructure and the Yb diffusion profile across the doped/undoped interfaces have been characterized by FEG SEM and ESEM. Laser characterization has been conducted in a longitudinally diode pumped laser cavity. The laser efficiency under high thermal load conditions has been compared to that obtained from samples with uniform doping, operating under the same experimental conditions. The thermal lensing is measured during the laser emission by means of a Shack-Hartmann sensor. 1. J. Hosta?a, L. Esposito, D. Alderighi, A. Pirri , "Preparation and Characterization of Yb - doped YAG Ceramics", Optical Materials, http://dx.doi.org./10.1016/j.optmat.2012.05.028 2. T. Epicier, G. Boulon, W. Zhao, M. Guzik, B. Jiang, A. Ikesue and L. Esposito, "Spatial distribution of the Yb3+ rare earth ions in Y3Al5O12 and Y2O3 optical ceramics as analyzed by TEM", J. Mat. Chem., 2012, 22, 18221-18229.
Production and characterization of layered YAG - Yb:YAG laser ceramic structures
Laura Esposito;Andreana Piancastelli;
2013
Abstract
Ceramic-based materials have shown to be a competitive alternative to single crystals for SSLs especially in case of high power applications. [1,2] The ceramic process is highly flexible in terms of feasible geometries and shapes. Ceramics can be shaped with complex architectures and multiple compositions that allow the control and minimization of the thermal lens effect. The exploitation of the flexibility of the ceramic process gives a real advantage over crystalline equivalent laser gain media. This study focuses on the production process of ceramic laser sources with complex shapes and structured doping. Innovative solutions have been obtained using the tape casting technique in combination with thermal compression of ceramic tapes with a tailored modulation of the doping level. In Fig.1 an example of a multilayered ceramic component obtained with this technique is reported. In order to make the presented process the more adaptable as possible, commercial micrometric ceramic powders have been used. The obtained results will be compared with the performances obtained with nanometric powders and other ceramic processing techniques such as linear and cold isostatic pressing. In all cases the densification process is conducted in a high vacuum, clean (carbon-free) environment. The study focusses on YAG (Y3Al5O12) based components variously doped with Yb3+ as active element. The microstructure and the Yb diffusion profile across the doped/undoped interfaces have been characterized by FEG SEM and ESEM. Laser characterization has been conducted in a longitudinally diode pumped laser cavity. The laser efficiency under high thermal load conditions has been compared to that obtained from samples with uniform doping, operating under the same experimental conditions. The thermal lensing is measured during the laser emission by means of a Shack-Hartmann sensor. 1. J. Hosta?a, L. Esposito, D. Alderighi, A. Pirri , "Preparation and Characterization of Yb - doped YAG Ceramics", Optical Materials, http://dx.doi.org./10.1016/j.optmat.2012.05.028 2. T. Epicier, G. Boulon, W. Zhao, M. Guzik, B. Jiang, A. Ikesue and L. Esposito, "Spatial distribution of the Yb3+ rare earth ions in Y3Al5O12 and Y2O3 optical ceramics as analyzed by TEM", J. Mat. Chem., 2012, 22, 18221-18229.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
