T.J. Warburton

Laser operation of an Nd:Gd3Ga5O12 thin‐film optical waveguide fabricated by pulsed laser deposition

We report the laser operation of a thin-film waveguide structure grown by the pulsed laser deposition technique. A 2.7-µm-thick crystalline film of neodymium doped Gd3Ga5O12 (Nd:GGG) lases at a wavelength centered at 1.06µm when pumped by a Ti:sapphire laser at 808 nm.

An efficient, diode-pumped, 2 μm Tm:YAG waveguide laser

Abstract We report on 2 μm laser operation of a diode-pumped Tm-doped YAG planar waveguide. The fabrication and characterisation of such layers grown by liquid phase epitaxy are described. The diode-pumped laser results (≤40 mW threshold, ≥68% slope efficiency) obtained compare very favourably with results reported for bulk crystals.

Thermally bonded planar waveguide lasers

A new technique for fabricating active planar waveguide devices is reported. This process, based on the thermal bonding of precision finished crystal or glass components, allows waveguides to be assembled from very dissimilar materials and could be applied to a wide range of solid state laser or other optical media. The waveguide propagation losses, inferred from the laser performance, are found to be 0.7dB/cm for Nd:Y3Al5O12 bonded to Y3Al5O12, Nd:Y3Al5O12 bonded to glass, and 0.4dB/cm for Nd:Gd3Ga5O12 bonded to Y3Al5O12 devices.

A low threshold, room temperature 1.64 μm Yb:Er:Y3Al5O12 waveguide laser

Room temperature 1.64µm laser operation of Yb:Er:Y3Al5O12 has been achieved using a planar waveguide grown by liquid phase epitaxy. A comparatively low threshold of 17 mW was achieved for this transition indicating low waveguide propagation loss for this material and suggesting good prospects for low threshold 3µm and upconversion visible lasers based on this system.

A diode-pumped, high gain, planar waveguide, Nd:Y3Al5O12 amplifier

We report the use of a 5 mm long planar Nd:YAG waveguide grown by liquid-phase epitaxy as an amplifier at 1.064 µm. In a double-pass configuration pumped by a 1.2 W diode-laser, small signal gains of 686 (28 dB) have been observed and efficient power extraction demonstrated with output powers of up to 290 mW being obtained

Low threshold 1.64µm operation of a Yb:Er:YAG waveguide laser

Er3+-doped Y3Al5O12 (YAC) is an interesting system with several useful laser transitions. Laser operation has previously been demonstrated on the 1.6µm, 2.94µm, and 561nm shown in the level diagram. Co-doping with Yb3+ allows these transitions to be pumped on the strong, diode compatible absorptions at 940 and 970 nm. Low-loss YAG waveguides grown by liquid-phase epitaxy have operated as low threshold lasers in Nd3+ and Yb3+-doped systems. In the present work we have investigated the laser performance at 1.6µm of Yb,Er codoped YAG epilayers grown on an undoped YAG substrate

An efficient, high-gain diode-pumped Nd: YAG planar waveguide amplifier

A diode pumped Nd:YAG, planar waveguide amplifier grown via liquid phase epitaxy has produced small signal gains of 28 dB. Extracted powers up to 36% of the 550 mW of absorbed pump power have also been obtained

A Thermally Bonded Nd:YAG Planar Waveguide Laser and Amplifier

We report laser action in a thermally bonded Nd:YAG planar waveguide at 1.064µm, and small signal gains of 22dB for 230mW of absorbed pump power in a double-pass amplifier configuration.