Rapid Growth of a Yb:YAG Slab Crystal with Superior Laser Properties by the Edge-Defined Film-Fed Growth Method

A Yb3+-doped Y3Al5O12 (Yb:YAG) single-crystal plate is first grown by the edge-defined film-fed growth (EFG) method. The full width at half-maximum (fwhm) of the X-ray rocking curve is 36 arcsec, demonstrating the high quality of the EFG crystal. The performance of Yb:YAG crystal grown by EFG method is investigated by a series of thermal and spectral tests. There is no Fe3+-related 250–300 nm absorption band in the EFG crystal. Laser experiments have shown that the EFG crystal laser is superior to the Cz crystal laser in terms of maximum output power, slope efficiency, and corresponding optical-to-optical efficiency, which indicates that the crystal grown by the EFG method has good laser performance and is expected to achieve high-power laser applications.