Comparative Study of Synthesized 10%Yb:YAG and 10%Yb:LuAG Ceramics

Development of efficient, high-power laser systems requires materials with high performance. One promising gain medium for high-power lasers operating near 1 μm is ytterbium-doped lutetium aluminum garnet (Yb:LuAG). We report the fabrication of laser ceramic samples with unique sintering additives: B2O3, MgO, and SiO2. For the first time, YAG and LuAG ceramics with 10% ytterbium doping (Yb3+), fabricated under identical conditions, are compared. Shrinkage curves are obtained for all samples; grain sizes, lattice parameters, and transmission spectra are measured; and comparative laser characteristics were investigated. Multimode lasing is achieved using an 800 μm thick disk active element under two-pass pump conditions. An output power of up to 23 W and slope efficiency of up to 43% are demonstrated for the Yb:YAG sample, while the output power of up to 16.9 W and slope efficiency of up to 39.7% are achieved for the Yb:LuAG sample in quasi-continuous-wave regimes.