The research at the Center for Laser-Materials (ZLM) at the Leibniz-Institut for Crystal Growth (IKZ) now led to the development of an efficient diode-pumped solid-state laser with emission in the green and in the yellow spectral range. The presented laser based on trivalent terbium as the active ion is a simple and compact approach for the direct generation of visible laser light. Pumped by a laser diode emitting at 488 nm in the cyan-blue range, a terbium-doped lithium-yttrium-fluoride crystal emits up to 44 and 14 mW at wavelengths of 542 and 587 nm, respectively. This is the first time, a diode-pumped solid-state laser based on trivalent terbium was realized. It is highlighted that this laser is free of any frequency conversion steps and as such more simple than a green laser pointer. Power scaling will be facilitated by the future progress in cyan-blue diode lasers.
This work was accepted for publication in the prestigious journal Laser & Photonics Reviews [1] and is featured as a world news report on lasers & sources in Laser Focus World [2].
References
[1] E. Castellano-Hernández, S. Kalusniak, P. W. Metz, and C. Kränkel, "Diode-pumped laser operation of Tb3+-LiLuF4 in the green and yellow spectral range", Laser & Photonics Reviews (accepted for publication) 2019, DOI: 10.1002/lpor.201900229
[2] Laser Focus World, December 2019, p. 14 ff, available online:
https://digital.laserfocusworld.com/laserfocusworld/201912/MobilePagedReplica.action?pm=1&folio=14#pg16
More Information:
Christian Kränkel
Section Crystals for Photonics / CLM