Nd3+-doped LiYF4 thin films prepared by pulsed laser deposition

C. Garapon (1) , S. Guy (1) , S. Skasasian (1) , A. Bensalah (1) , Corinne Champeaux (2) , R. Brenier (3)

1 LPCML - Laboratoire de Physico-Chimie des Matériaux Luminescents
2 Axe 2 : procédés de traitements de surface
3 LPMCN - Laboratoire de Physique de la Matière Condensée et Nanostructures

Nd:LiYF4 (YLF) thin films were prepared on CaF2 or YLF substrates by pulsed laser deposition, using a KrF laser for ablation of Nd:LiYF4 single-crystal targets. For 10 J/cm2, 450 ◦C and about 10−6 mbar pressure, transparent and crystalline, highly textured, YLF films were obtained, without oxyfluoride or YF3 contamination. High surface roughness is shown by optical microscopy and interface ion diffusion between film and substrate is evidenced by Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy. Fluorescence properties of the films are quite similar to those of bulk Nd:YLF crystal, which confirms the pure YLF composition and shows good conservation of Nd3+ ion doping rate.

C. Garapon, S. Guy, S. Skasasian, A. Bensalah, Corinne Champeaux, et al.. Nd3+-doped LiYF4 thin films prepared by pulsed laser deposition. Applied physics. A, Materials science & processing, 2008, 91, pp.493-499. ⟨10.1007/s00339-008-4436-z⟩. ⟨hal-00299915⟩