Population mechanisms of the green Er3+:LiYF4 laser

Markus Pollnau, W. Lüthy, H.P. Weber

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    Abstract

    In computer simulations the mechanisms that lead to room-temperature continuous-wave green upconversion lasing in Er3+:LiYF4 are investigated. The rate-equation system considers the full erbium level scheme up to 2H9/2, ground-state depletion, excited-state absorption on the pump and laser wavelengths, three interionic processes, stimulated emission, and the crystal and resonator data of the experiments. Experimental results performed at the University of Hamburg, Germany, are reproduced in the simulation. The influence of different parameters as pump wavelength, absorption cross sections, interionic parameters, dopant concentration, and temperature is investigated. An avalanche effect which exploits the strong cross relaxation from the upper laser level and the upconversion from 4I13/2 leads to an efficient population of the upper laser level. At higher dopant concentrations the cross relaxation becomes detrimental to stimulated emission due to the depletion of the upper laser level. This concentration dependence can be considered as a general behavior of rare-earth-doped avalanche lasers.
    Original languageUndefined
    Article number10.1063/1.359138
    Pages (from-to)6128-6134
    Number of pages7
    JournalJournal of Applied Physics
    Volume77
    Issue number12
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 1995

    Keywords

    • IOMS-APD: Active Photonic Devices
    • IR-70115
    • EWI-17582

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