Optical and laser properties of new Er:Yb zinc-silicate glasses

Abstract

In this work we have studied fundamental passive and active parameters of new family of erbium and ytterbium doped zinc-silicate glasses with different doping concentration and ratio of erbium and ytterbium ions. Parameters as absorption coefficient, saturation of absorption, emission wavelength, fluorescence lifetime and up-conversion spectra were measured. The laser performance was studied in end-diode pumped configuration with hemispherical resonator. As an excitation source a 30W fiber coupled 975 nm laser diode in pulsed regime was used. Laser action was achieved with four different samples of zinc-silicate glasses on wavelengths ranging from 1540nm to 1570nm. The results were compared with the properties of commercially available phosphate glasses and previous zinc-silicate glass which have similar threshold energy corresponding to 3,3mJ and 3mJ respectively. Newly designed zinc-silicate glasses prepared under improved conditions showed substantially better optical and laser properties in comparison with the previously prepared samples.