Complex layered SSL sources produced by a multipurpose, adaptable and fast ceramic process

Ceramic-based materials have shown to be a competitive alternative to single crystals as sources for solid state lasers especially in case of high power applications. The ceramic process is highly flexible in terms of feasible geometries and shapes, as well as dopant distribution control. This provides a real advantage over the crystalline equivalent. This study focuses on the production process of ceramic laser sources with complex shapes and structured doping. Innovative solutions have been obtained with the tape casting technique in combination with thermal compression of ceramic tapes with a tailored modulation of the doping level. To make this process as adaptable as possible, commercial micrometric ceramic powders have been used. These results are compared with those obtained with nanometric powders and other processing techniques. The study focusses on YAG (Y3Al5O12) based components doped with Yb3+ as lasing ion. The microstructure and the Yb diffusion profile across the doped/undoped interfaces have been characterized by FEG SEM and ESEM. Laser performance has been characterized 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, under the same conditions. Thermal effects (thermal lensing, thermal depolarization) were characterized under laser operation.