Search

Abstract: Absorption spectrum from 400 to 2000nm and upconversion fluorescence spectra under 940nm pumping of YAG single crystal codoped with 5at.% Yb3+ and 4at.% Tm3+ were studied at room temperature. The blue upconversion emission centered at 483nm corresponds to the transition 1G4 → 3H6, the emission band around 646nm corresponds to the transition 1G4 → 3F4 of Tm3+. Energy transfer from Yb3+ to Tm3+ is mainly nonradiative and the transfer efficiency was experimentally assessed. The line strengths, transition probabilities and radiative lifetimes of 1G4 level were calculated by using Judd–Ofelt theory. Gain coefficient calculated from spectra shows that the upconversion corresponding with transitions 1G4 → 3H6 in YAG doped with Yb3+ and Tm3+ is potentially useful for blue light output. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Single crystals fiber (SCF) of LuAG doped with 2.0 at.% thulium has been grown by using micro-pulling down (µ-PD) technique. A continuous-wave output power of 2.44 W was achieved with a slope efficiency of 11.7% using a 783-nm diode laser as pump source. The beam quality factors M2 were 1.14 and 1.67 in the x and y directions, respectively. This is, to the best of our knowledge, the first report on the Tm:LuAG SCF laser. Using ray tracing analysis, the influence of laser performance by the pump intensity distribution in the SCF was also studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The friction and thermal conductivity are two vital factors affecting braking components in manned aircraft. It is imperative to find a rational design basis for high-performance lightweight polymeric materials with excellent toughness, coefficient of friction, and thermal conductivity. In light of the outstanding mechanical strength, stiffness, and good dimensional stability of polyamide 6 (PA6), herein, we have demonstrated the fabrication of high-performance PA6 composites by adding one-dimensional SiC whiskers (SCWS) as both a reinforcement agent and anti-abrasion agent. The results show that addition of 2 wt% SiC whiskers (SCWS) increases the tensile strength of PA6 by 37.6% (reaching 58.2 MPa). Meanwhile, the elongation at break is over five times (around 280%) of that of the PA6 matrix, which means that the fracture toughness is increased around seven-fold. Moreover, the addition of 30 wt% SCWS reduces the coefficient of friction from 0.31 for the PA6 to 0.15, indicating improved anti-abrasion performance. Such significant improvements in both mechanical and anti-wear properties are primarily due to the high stiffness of SCWS and the strong interfacial interactions with the PA6 matrix. This work provides a facile approach to the design of mechanically robust, wear-resistant polymer composites which hold significant promise for producing advanced gears and bearing parts in aerospace and automobile applications. • High-performance PA6 composites by adding various loading levels of SiC whiskers (SCWS) were prepared. • The addition of 2wt% SCWS increases the tensile strength of PA6 by 37.6%. • Adding 2wt% of SCWS increases the elongation at break of PA6 over 5 times and the fracture toughness by around 7 times. • The addition of 30 wt% SCWS reduces the friction coefficient from 0.31 for the PA6 to 0.15. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yb:CaYAlO 4 (Yb:CALYO) shaped crystal fibers with different Yb3+ doping concentration were successfully grown by the micro-pulling-down (μ -PD) method. The effect of the Yb3+ concentration on the structure, absorption, emission and lifetime was systematically studied. The strongest absorption peaks of Yb:CALYO crystal fibers are located at 977 nm for σ and π polarization. The micro-photoluminescence indicate that Yb3+ ions in CALYO single crystal fiber grown by the μ -PD method distributed evenly across a cross-section. The emission cross-section of 5 at.% Yb:CALYO crystal fiber was calculated to be 0.86 × 10−20 and 1.08 × 10−20 cm2 at 983 nm for σ and π polarizations. Benefited from the disordered structrure of CaYAlO 4 crystal, the full width at half maximum (FWHM) at 978 nm was 68.9 nm and 80.9 nm, respectively. The fluorescence lifetime of 2F 5/2 energy level of Yb:CALYO crystal fibers with concentration of 0.5 at.%, 1 at.%, 2 at.% and 5 at.% was calculated to be 435 μs, 484 μs, 514 μs and 453 μs, respectively. The experimental results show that Yb:CALYO crystal fiber is a potential laser medium for ultrashort laser operation. • Yb:CaYAlO 4 shaped crystal fibers were grown by the micro-pulling down method. • The crystal structure, polarized spectra were investigated. • The effect of Yb3+ concentration on the spectroscopic properties was evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BGO single crystals doped with Er3+, Tm3+ and Ho3+ rare-earth ions were prepared in the form of rod-type crystal fibers via the micro-pulling down technique to perform an extensive investigation of their visible, near- and mid-infrared luminescence properties and to really decide on their interest as solid-state laser media in the various spectral domains. Revisiting and completing the absorption spectra already available in the literature led to the derivation of more reliable "effective" radiative lifetimes and branching ratios. Registration of the fluorescence decays of the most important emitting levels versus dopant concentrations led for the first time to an unambiguous determination of "intrinsic" emission lifetimes – corresponding to negligible contributions from inter-ionic energy-transfers - and non-radiative multiphonon relaxation rates. Such data also allowed for the determination of the dominant phonon energy which comes into play in the electron-phonon coupling responsible for these multiphonon relaxation processes and for its lattice vibration origin, i.e. a high phonon energy of the order of 820 cm−1 corresponding to the coupling between bending vibrations of (GeO 4)4- tetrahedra and vibrations corresponding to motions of these (GeO 4)4- tetrahedra against the Bi3+ ions for which the rare-earth dopant ions substitute. Using the above data and different methods for the calibration of the registered emission spectra in cross section unit and for the derivation of gain cross section curves finally show that mid-infrared emissions of Er:BGO, Tm:BGO and Ho:BGO around 1.55 μm, 1.9 μm and 2 μm, respectively, occur with comparable gain cross sections as in the most important reference mid-infrared laser materials, although over slightly shifted thus complementary spectral domains. It is shown that potentialities also exist with Tm:BGO in the blue, deep-red and near-infrared spectral domains around 470 nm, 800 nm and 1.45 μm, by pumping the crystals with conventional pump sources and using some suitable co-dopants to avoid detrimental self-terminating processes. • Bi 4 Ge 3 O 12 rod-type crystal fibers doped with Er3+, Tm3+ and Ho3+ ions are successfully grown by using the micro-pulling down technique. • An extensive spectroscopic investigation is performed from the near-UV to the mid-infrared. • Effective radiative and intrinsic emission lifetimes are unambiguously determined for all the important emitting levels. • The origin and the energy of the phonons responsible for the non-radiative multiphonon relaxation of the emitting levels are clearly identified. • Emission and gain cross section spectra show the interest of Er3+, Tm3+ and Ho3+ doped BGO crystals for the high power mid-infrared laser application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The luminescence properties of 0.5%Pr-doped BGO crystals grown by using the micro-pulling down technique were carefully investigated. Room temperature absorption spectra were registered and analyzed within the framework of the Judd-Ofelt formalism and the best fit to the data is obtained by using a modified treatment allowing for the admixture of intensity enabling wave-functions. The results indicate 3P 0 and 1D 2 radiative lifetimes of about 5.7 μs and 79 μs, in perfect agreement with the time-constants derived from the measured fluorescence decays at room and liquid-nitrogen temperatures. Registration of time-resolved emission and excitation spectra and calibration of the 3P 0 emission spectrum in cross section unit clearly indicate that Pr-doped BGO could be the first isotropic crystalline material leading to efficient diode-pumped laser operation at room temperature with laser performances, at least in the deep-red spectral region, comparable to that found with the most important anisotropic Pr-doped fluoride and oxide crystals. • Pr:Bi 4 Ge 3 O 12 crystal fibers are successfully grown by micro-pulling down. • Absorption spectra are analyzed by using the Judd-Ofelt formalism. • Emission, excitation spectra are registered from the near-UV to the deep-Red. • It is found a 3P0 emission lifetime of 5.7 μs for a quantum yield close to 1. • Record emission cross-sections are obtained in the red and deep-red. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ho3+-doped CaYAlO 4 (Ho:CALYO) crystal fibers have been successfully grown from the melt by the micro-pulling-down (μ -PD) technique for the first time. The polarized absorption spectra, fluorescence spectra and lifetime decay curves were measured at room temperature. The most intense emission of 2 at.% Ho:CALYO crystal fiber appears at 2072 nm with the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 181.1 nm for σ polarization and at 2022 nm with FWHM of 199.4 nm for π polarization, respectively. The decay lifetimes of 5I 7 state of Ho:CALYO crystal fibers with different holmium concentration were calculated. All the results show that Ho:CALYO crystal fiber has potential as a laser gain medium for ultrashort and tunable Mid-infrared laser system. • Ho:CaYAlO 4 shaped crystal fibers with different Ho3+ concentration were grown using by the micro-pulling-down method. • The effect of Ho3+ concentration on the spectroscopic properties of Ho:CaYAlO 4 crystal fibers was studied. • Ho:CaYAlO 4 crystal fibers have large FWHMs of fluorescence spectra, which is better for tunable and short pulse laser output. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A high-quality Cr:CYA (Cr:CaYAlO 4) single crystal fiber was grown by μ-PD (Micro-Pulling-Down) method. The E//a and E//c polarized excitation spectra of Cr:CYA at room temperature was measured. The crystal field parameters were calculated and the energy level structure of Cr:CYA was analyzed. We also measured the polarization emission spectra and lifetimes at different temperatures and calculated the effective emission cross-section. Based on the above data and Boltzmann law, the thermal distribution between the excited energy levels 2E and 4A 2 at different temperatures was analyzed. The present work may be useful for guiding laser research on Cr:CYA and other Cr3+-doped laser crystals above room temperature. • Cr:CYA single crystal fiber was grown by μ-PD (Micro-Pulling-Down) method. • Excitation spectra and crystal field parameters of Cr:CYA crystals were investigated and analyzed. • The effective emission cross section of Cr:CYA at different temperatures was calculated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tm3+-doped CaYAlO 4 (Tm:CALYO) shaped crystals fibers with various doping concentration of 2 at.%, 3 at.%, 5 at.% and 7 at.% have been successfully grown by the micro-pulling-down (μ -PD) method. The polarized absorption spectra, polarized fluorescence spectra and fluorescence decay curves were analyzed at room temperature. The absorption bands of 3H 6 →3H 4 transition centered at around 800 nm match well with commercial AlGaAs laser diode pumping sources. For 7 at.% Tm:CALYO crystal fiber, the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the emission band for π polarization at 1806 nm was 225.4 nm. The fluorescence of 3F 4 level decreased strongly as the thulium concentration increased. All the results indicate that Tm:CALYO crystal fibers are promising for ultrashort and tunable laser operation. • Tm:CALYO shaped crystal fibers were grown by the micro-pulling-down technique for the first time. • The full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the emission band for π polarization at 1806 nm was calculated to be 225.4 nm. • The fluorescence lifetime was calculated to be 4.11, 3.74, 3.55 and 2.90 ms for doping concentration of 2, 3, 5 and 7 at.%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Titanium doped sapphire (Ti:Al 2 O 3 ) crystal fibers have been grown by the micro-pulling-down (μ-PD) method using different pulling rate in the range (0.1–0.5 mm/min). The present work has investigated the crystal growth, including diameter, bubbles defects and segregation properties. The fiber’s absorption and IR emission experiments are analyzed. The lifetime of Ti 3+ in the IR range obtained at room temperature is 3.1 μs. Moreover, the two blue emissions at 420 nm and 470 nm bands have been discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: For the first time, a high optical quality Yb3+-doped lutetium pyrosilicate laser crystal Lu2Si2O7 (LPS) was grown by the Czochralski (Cz) method. The segregation coefficient of ytterbium ion in Yb:LPS crystal detected by the inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometer (ICP-AES) method is equal to 0.847. X-ray powder diffraction result confirms the C2/m phase monoclinic space group of the grown crystal and the peaks corresponding to different phases were indexed. The absorption and fluorescence spectra, as well as fluorescence decay lifetime of Yb3+ ion in LPS have been investigated. The absorption and fluorescence cross-sections of the transitions 2F7/2↔2F5/2 of Yb3+ ion in LPS crystal have been determined. The advantages of the Yb:LPS crystal including high crystal quality, quasi-four-level laser operating scheme, high absorption cross-sections (1.33×10−20 cm2) and particularly broad emission bandwidth (∼62nm) indicated that the Yb:LPS crystal seemed to be a promising candidate used as compact, efficient thin chip lasers when LD is pumped at 940 and 980nm due to its low-symmetry monoclinic structure and single crystallographic site. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]