Exploring Structure-Sensitive Factors Relevant to Cryogenic Laser Operation in Oxide Crystals Doped with Er3+ Ions

Witold Ryba-Romanowski; Radoslaw Lisiecki; Jaroslaw Komar; Boguslaw Macalik; Marek Berkowski

doi:10.3390/ma16052095

Exploring Structure-Sensitive Factors Relevant to Cryogenic Laser Operation in Oxide Crystals Doped with Er³⁺ Ions

Materials (Basel). 2023 Mar 3;16(5):2095. doi: 10.3390/ma16052095.

Authors

Witold Ryba-Romanowski¹, Radoslaw Lisiecki¹, Jaroslaw Komar¹, Boguslaw Macalik¹, Marek Berkowski²

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Low Temperature and Structure Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Okólna 2, 50-422 Wrocław, Poland.
² Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Al. Lotników 32/46, 02-668 Warsaw, Poland.

Abstract

Crystals of Gd₃Al_2.5Ga_2.5O₁₂:Er³⁺, (Lu_0.3Gd_0.7)₂SiO₅:Er³⁺ and LiNbO₃:Er³⁺ compounds differing in origin and the nature of their inherent structural disorder were crystalized. Optical absorption and luminescence spectra for transitions between the ⁴I_15/2 and the ⁴I_13/2 multiplets of Er³⁺ ions for the crystal samples were recorded versus temperatures in the region of 80-300 K. Gathered data were analyzed thoroughly providing the in-depth knowledge of the effects of temperature on intensities, wavelengths and bandwidths of Er³⁺ transitions. The information acquired together with the knowledge of significant structural dissimilarities of the host crystals chosen made it possible to propose an interpretation of the impact of a structural disorder in Er³⁺-doped crystals on their spectroscopic properties, and to determine their lasing ability at cryogenic temperatures upon resonant (in-band) optical pumping.

Keywords: Er-doped crystals; cryogenic lasers; luminescence; optical spectroscopy.

Grants and funding

The work was financially supported with the statutory funds of the Institute of Low Temperature and Structure Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wroclaw.