Optical quality and laser performance of polycrystal and single crystal Nd:YAG by sintering method

A. Ikesue; Yan Lin Aung; T. Yoda; S. Nakayama; T. Kamimura; K. Yoshida

doi:10.1117/12.638721

7 February 2006 Optical quality and laser performance of polycrystal and single crystal Nd:YAG by sintering method

A. Ikesue, Yan Lin Aung, T. Yoda, S. Nakayama, T. Kamimura, K. Yoshida

Proceedings Volume 5991, Laser-Induced Damage in Optical Materials: 2005; 599122 (2006) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.638721
Event: Boulder Damage Symposium XXXVII: Annual Symposium on Optical Materials for High Power Lasers, 2005, Boulder, CO, United States

Abstract

We report the first demonstration of polycrystalline Nd-doped YAG ceramics with almost perfect pore-free structure and Nd-doped YAG single crystal by advanced ceramic processing. The laser conversion efficiency of pore-free polycrystalline Nd:YAG ceramics is extremely high and its optical quality is comparable to that of commercial high quality Nd:YAG single crystal. Moreover, we have succeeded also in fabrication of Nd:YAG single crystal, which enables laser oscillation, by solid-state reaction method. Laser oscillation efficiency was very low when the pores were remained inside single crystal, however the laser oscillation efficiency of pore-free Nd:YAG single crystal was slightly higher than that of polycrystalline Nd:YAG ceramics having grain boundaries. From this fact, it was found that the optical scattering inside the Nd:YAG ceramics occurs mainly at the residual pores and the scattering at the grain boundary is very little. In addition, we confirmed that high concentration Nd:YAG single crystal can be fabricated by sintering method. Applying the above single crystallization technology by sintering method, we have demonstrated the fabrication of layer-by-layer single crystal composite and micron size spherical single crystal.

Citation Download Citation

A. Ikesue, Yan Lin Aung, T. Yoda, S. Nakayama, T. Kamimura, and K. Yoshida "Optical quality and laser performance of polycrystal and single crystal Nd:YAG by sintering method", Proc. SPIE 5991, Laser-Induced Damage in Optical Materials: 2005, 599122 (7 February 2006); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.638721

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