New solid-state lasers based on rare-earth doped sesquioxide crystals

Abstract

Summary form only given. The sesquioxide of yttrium is subject of interest to the fields of laser physics and spectroscopy since the early sixties. It exhibits a thermal conductivity that is higher than that of the well established laser host material Y/sub 3/Al/sub 5/O/sub 12/ (YAG). Similarly high thermal conductivities can also be found in the isostructural scandia (Sc/sub 2/O/sub 3/) and lutetia (Lu/sub 2/O/sub 3/). The thermal conductivities range between 12.5 W/mK in lutetia and 16.5 W/mK in scandia, measured at 50 C. Undoped YAG shows a thermal conductivity of 11 W/mK measured under the same conditions. This property makes the sesquioxides promising host materials for rare-earth based laser systems, especially for high power applications.