Abstract

Due to their exceptional thermo-mechanical properties sesquioxides like Sc₂O₃, Y₂O₃, and Lu₂O₃ are attractive host materials for high power solid-state lasers. Within these materials Lu₂O₃ has the highest doping potential for Yb³⁺which favours it for applications in the microchip- and thin disk laser geometry. However, the production of high quality Lu₂O₃ bulk material has difficulties arising from its high melting temperature in the range above 2450°C. Due to a lower purity and not fully optimized growth conditions in previous growth experiments performed in our group, the laser efficiency of bulk Yb:Lu₂O₃ was limited to 60% so far [1].

© 2007 IEEE