Wavelength switching in Nd:YSAG ceramic laser induced by thermal effect

Julie Carreaud (1) , Alexis Labruyère (2) , Lionel Jaffres (2) , Vincent Couderc (2) , Alexandre Maitre (1) , Rémy Boulesteix (1) , A. Brenier (3) , G. Boulon (3) , Y. Guyot (3) , Y. Rabinovitch (4) , C. Salle (4)

1 Axe 1 : procédés céramiques
2 XLIM-PHOTONIQUE - PHOTONIQUE
3 LPCML - Laboratoire de Physico-Chimie des Matériaux Luminescents
4 CILAS - Compagnie Industrielle des Lasers [Limoges]

We investigate the fluorescence and laser properties of a 2 at.% Nd-doped YSAG (Y3ScAl4O12) ceramic. We demonstrate the role of temperature in tailoring the fluorescence spectrum, whose spectral positions and intensities of the peaks are particularly depending on that parameter. As a consequence, the laser properties of the ceramic are strongly influenced by the accumulation of heat caused by pumping. In particular, we show that Nd:YAG ceramic laser emission can be switched between its two main laser lines located at 1061 and 1064 nm. Additionally, we show that the wavelength positions can also be influenced by temperature.

Mots clés: Nd:YSAG ceramics; temperature-dependent laser properties; fluorescence properties; wavelength switching

Julie Carreaud, Alexis Labruyère, Lionel Jaffres, Vincent Couderc, Alexandre Maitre, et al.. Wavelength switching in Nd:YSAG ceramic laser induced by thermal effect. Laser Physics Letters, 2012, 9, pp.344-349. ⟨10.7452/lapl.201110140⟩. ⟨hal-00733416⟩