[OPTICAL REVIEW Vol. 20, No. 5 (2013) 390-394]
© 2013 The Japan Society of Applied Physics
Optical Properties and Laser Performance of Yb-Doped Vanadates Grown by Floating Zone Method
Shinki NAKAMURA1,2,3*, Taishi AGATA1, Takayo OGAWA3, Satoshi WADA3, and Mikio HIGUCHI4
1Department of Media and Telecommunications Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Ibaraki University, Hitachi, Ibaraki 316-8511, Japan
2Frontier Research Center for Applied Atomic Sciences (iFRC), Ibaraki University, Tokai, Ibaraki 319-1106, Japan
3RIKEN (The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research), Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
4Division of Materials Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8628, Japan
(Received December 6, 2012; Accepted July 9, 2013)
We grew high-quality Yb:LuVO4, Yb:GdVO4, and Yb:YVO4 by the floating zone (FZ) method. It was found by measurement that these crystals had favorable optical properties. A maximum absorption coefficient of 27 cm-1 (FWHM) and a fluorescence bandwidth with a 20 nm (FWHM) were observed for Yb:LuVO4 at a Yb doping level of 4 at. %. Finally, we demonstrated the lasing performances of Yb:LuVO4, Yb:GdVO4, and Yb:YVO4. To our knowledge, this is the first time that a Yb-doped vanadate grown by the FZ method has been used as a laser, and 4 at. % Yb doping of the Yb:LuVO4 and Yb:YVO4 is the highest level of doping at which laser oscillation occurs among the Yb-doped vanadates.
Key words: ytterbium, vanadate, floating zone method, FZ method, Yb:LuVO4, Yb:GdVO4, Yb:YVO4, all-solid-state laser, diode-pumped solid-state laser, DPSSL, ultrafast, femtosecond
*E-mail address: nakamura@mx.ibaraki.ac.jp