We present the Erbium ⁴I_11/2 and ⁴I_13/2 complete polarized spectroscopic investigation on a series of Er₃₊,Ce₃₊:BaY₂F₈ single crystals as a function of Cerium concentration. The main results of room temperature lifetime investigation show that the ⁴I_13/2 lifetime reduces from 15.6 ms to 10 ms, the ⁴I_11/2 lifetime reduces from 8.3 ms to 0.2 ms and ⁴S_3/2 lifetime reduces from 420 to 110 μs when adding 4% Ce-codoping. Moreover, in the same experimental conditions, the fluorescence intensity from ⁴I_13/2 increases by four times when adding 4%Ce, and the intensity of the 3 μm ⁴I_11/2 →⁴I_13/2 transition becomes undetectable. The experimental data are interpreted with a rate equation model. The obtained results could be interesting in perspective of obtaining a low-threshold 1.5 μm Er laser.

© 2005 Optical Society of America

1. A. Agnesi, A. Guandalini, A. Lucca, E. Sani, A. Toncelli, M. Tonelli, D. Dell�??Acqua �??Medium-power diode-pumped Nd:BaY2F8 laser�??. Opt. Express 11, 1149-1155 (2003), <a href= "http://www.opticsexpress.org/abstract.cfm?URI=OPEX-11-10-1149">http://www.opticsexpress.org/abstract.cfm?URI=OPEX-11-10-1149</a> [CrossRef] [PubMed]
2. J.J. Zayhowski and J. Harrison, �??Miniature solid-state lasers�?? in Handbook of Photonics, M.C. Gupta, ed. (CRC Press, Boca Raton, Fla., 1997)
3. W. Koechner, Solid State Laser Engineering, 5th edition, (Springer, Berlin, 1999)
4. A. A. Kaminskii, Crystalline lasers: physical processes and operating schemes, (CRC Press, Boca Raton, 1996).
5. H. J. Eichler, J. Findeisen, B. Liu, A. A. Kaminskii, A. V. Butachin, P. Peuser, �??Highly efficient diode-pumped 3 µm Er3+:BaY2F8 laser,�?? IEEE J. Sel. Top. Quantum Electron. 3, 90-94, (1997). [CrossRef]
6. R. A. McFarlane, �??Upconversion laser in BaY2F8:Er 5% pumped by ground-state and excited-state absorption,�?? J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 11, 871-880 (1994). [CrossRef]
7. V.P.Gaponstev, S.M.Matitsin, A.A.Isyneev, V.B.Kravchenko, �??Erbium glass lasers and their applications,�?? Opt. Laser Technol. 14, 189-196 (1982). [CrossRef]
8. S. Jiang, J. Myers, D. Rhonehouse, M. Myers, R. Belford, S. Hamlin, �??Laser and thermal performance of a new Erbium doped phosphate glass,�?? Kigre, Hilton Head Island, 1990.
9. R. Fluck, U. Keller, E. Gini, H. Melchior, �??Eyesafe pulsed microchip laser�??, OSA TOPS 19 Adv. Solid State Lasers, W.R. Bosenberg and M.M. Fejer eds. (OSA, Washington, DC 1998) 146-149.
10. P. Laporta, S. Longhi, S. Taccheo, O. Svelto, G. Sacchi, �??Single-mode cw erbium-ytterbium glass laser at 1.5 µm,�?? Opt. Lett. 18, 31-33, (1993). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
11. Choi Y G, Kim K H, Park S H, Heo J, �??Comparative study of energy transfers from Er3+ to Ce3+ in tellurite and sulfide glasses under 980 nm excitation,�?? J. Appl. Phys. 88, 3832-3839, (2000). [CrossRef]
12. Z. Meng,T. Yoshimura, K. Fukue, M. Higashihata, Y. Nakata, T. Okada, �??Large improvement in quantum fluorescence yeld of Er3+-doped fluorozirconate and fluoroindate glasses by Ce3+ codoping,�?? J. Appl. Phys. 88, 2187-2190, (2000). [CrossRef]
13. C. Strohofer, A. Polman, �??Enhancement of Er3+ 4I13/2 population in Y2O3 by energy transfer to Ce3+,�?? Opt. Mat. 17, 445-451, (2001). [CrossRef]
14. V.A.Lebedev, I.V.Voroshilov, B.V.Ignatiev, V.A. Isaev, A.N. Gavrilenko, V.F. Pisarenko, �??Spectroscopic and kinetic investigations of erbium in Er,Ce:CaGd4Si3O13 (Er,Ce:CGS) crystals,�?? CLEO-Europe/EQEC, Techn. Digest, Paris, France, September 2000, paper CWF30.
15. E. Sani, A. Toncelli, M. Tonelli, D.A.Lis, E.V.Zharikov, K.A. Subbotin, V.A.Smirnov. �??Effect of Cerium codoping in Er3+,Ce3+:NaLa(MoO4)2 crystals,�?? J. Appl. Phys. 97, 123531, (2005). [CrossRef]
16. B.Simondi-Teisseire, B.Viana, A.-M.Lejus, J. M. Benitez, D. Vivien, C. Borel, R. Templier,C. Wyon, �??Room-temperature cw laser operation at ~1.55 µm (eye-safe range) of Yb:Er and Yb:Er:Ce:Ca2Al2SiO7 crystals,�?? IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 32, 2004-2009, (1996). [CrossRef]
17. Y. Kubota, T. Teshima, N. Nishimura, S. Kanto, S. Sakaguchi, Z. Meng, Y. Nakata, and T. Okada, �??Novel Er and Ce Codoped Fluoride Fiber Amplifier for Low-Noise and High-Efficient Operation With 980-nm Pumping,�?? IEEE Photonics Technol. Lett., 15, 525-527 (2003). [CrossRef]
18. Y. Akasaka, Y. Kubota, S. Sakaguchi, I. White and J. Pan,�??100 nm gain bandwidth amplifier based on 980 nm pumped cerium codoped fluoride EDF,�?? Electron. Lett. 39, 836-838 (2003). [CrossRef]
19. S. Guy, M. F. Joubert, B. Jacquier, M. Bouazaoui, �??Excited-state absorption in BaY2F8:Nd3+,�?? Phys. Rev. B 47, 11001-6 (1993). [CrossRef]
20. D. S. Knowles, H. P. Jenssen, �??Upconversion versus Pr-deactivation for efficient 3 µm laser operation in Er,�?? IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 28, 1197-1208, (1992). [CrossRef]
21. G. A. Kumar, R. Riman, S. C. Chae, Y. N. Jang, I. K. Bae, H. S. Moon, �??Synthesis and spectroscopic characterization of CaF2:Er3+ single crystal for highly efficient 1.53 µm amplification,�?? J. Appl. Phys. 95, 3243-49, (2004).
22. J. C. Brice, The growth of crystals from liquids, (North-Holland, Amsterdam, 1973)
23. B. F. Aull, and H. P. Jenssen, �??Vibronic interactions in Nd:YAG resulting in nonreciprocity of absorption and stimulated emission cross sections,�?? IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 18, 925, (1982). [CrossRef]

CLEO-Europe/EQEC 2000

• V.A.Lebedev, I.V.Voroshilov, B.V.Ignatiev, V.A. Isaev, A.N. Gavrilenko, V.F. Pisarenko, �??Spectroscopic and kinetic investigations of erbium in Er,Ce:CaGd4Si3O13 (Er,Ce:CGS) crystals,�?? CLEO-Europe/EQEC, Techn. Digest, Paris, France, September 2000, paper CWF30.

Electron. Lett.

• Y. Akasaka, Y. Kubota, S. Sakaguchi, I. White and J. Pan,�??100 nm gain bandwidth amplifier based on 980 nm pumped cerium codoped fluoride EDF,�?? Electron. Lett. 39, 836-838 (2003). [CrossRef]

Handbook of Photonics

• J.J. Zayhowski and J. Harrison, �??Miniature solid-state lasers�?? in Handbook of Photonics, M.C. Gupta, ed. (CRC Press, Boca Raton, Fla., 1997)

IEEE J. Quantum Electron.

• B.Simondi-Teisseire, B.Viana, A.-M.Lejus, J. M. Benitez, D. Vivien, C. Borel, R. Templier,C. Wyon, �??Room-temperature cw laser operation at ~1.55 µm (eye-safe range) of Yb:Er and Yb:Er:Ce:Ca2Al2SiO7 crystals,�?? IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 32, 2004-2009, (1996). [CrossRef]
• D. S. Knowles, H. P. Jenssen, �??Upconversion versus Pr-deactivation for efficient 3 µm laser operation in Er,�?? IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 28, 1197-1208, (1992). [CrossRef]
• B. F. Aull, and H. P. Jenssen, �??Vibronic interactions in Nd:YAG resulting in nonreciprocity of absorption and stimulated emission cross sections,�?? IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 18, 925, (1982). [CrossRef]

IEEE J. Sel. Top. Quantum Electron.

• H. J. Eichler, J. Findeisen, B. Liu, A. A. Kaminskii, A. V. Butachin, P. Peuser, �??Highly efficient diode-pumped 3 µm Er3+:BaY2F8 laser,�?? IEEE J. Sel. Top. Quantum Electron. 3, 90-94, (1997). [CrossRef]

IEEE Photonics Technol. Lett.

• Y. Kubota, T. Teshima, N. Nishimura, S. Kanto, S. Sakaguchi, Z. Meng, Y. Nakata, and T. Okada, �??Novel Er and Ce Codoped Fluoride Fiber Amplifier for Low-Noise and High-Efficient Operation With 980-nm Pumping,�?? IEEE Photonics Technol. Lett., 15, 525-527 (2003). [CrossRef]

J. Appl. Phys.

• E. Sani, A. Toncelli, M. Tonelli, D.A.Lis, E.V.Zharikov, K.A. Subbotin, V.A.Smirnov. �??Effect of Cerium codoping in Er3+,Ce3+:NaLa(MoO4)2 crystals,�?? J. Appl. Phys. 97, 123531, (2005). [CrossRef]
• Choi Y G, Kim K H, Park S H, Heo J, �??Comparative study of energy transfers from Er3+ to Ce3+ in tellurite and sulfide glasses under 980 nm excitation,�?? J. Appl. Phys. 88, 3832-3839, (2000). [CrossRef]
• Z. Meng,T. Yoshimura, K. Fukue, M. Higashihata, Y. Nakata, T. Okada, �??Large improvement in quantum fluorescence yeld of Er3+-doped fluorozirconate and fluoroindate glasses by Ce3+ codoping,�?? J. Appl. Phys. 88, 2187-2190, (2000). [CrossRef]
• G. A. Kumar, R. Riman, S. C. Chae, Y. N. Jang, I. K. Bae, H. S. Moon, �??Synthesis and spectroscopic characterization of CaF2:Er3+ single crystal for highly efficient 1.53 µm amplification,�?? J. Appl. Phys. 95, 3243-49, (2004).

J. Opt. Soc. Am. B

• R. A. McFarlane, �??Upconversion laser in BaY2F8:Er 5% pumped by ground-state and excited-state absorption,�?? J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 11, 871-880 (1994). [CrossRef]

Kigre 1990

• S. Jiang, J. Myers, D. Rhonehouse, M. Myers, R. Belford, S. Hamlin, �??Laser and thermal performance of a new Erbium doped phosphate glass,�?? Kigre, Hilton Head Island, 1990.

Opt. Express

• A. Agnesi, A. Guandalini, A. Lucca, E. Sani, A. Toncelli, M. Tonelli, D. Dell�??Acqua �??Medium-power diode-pumped Nd:BaY2F8 laser�??. Opt. Express 11, 1149-1155 (2003), <a href= "http://www.opticsexpress.org/abstract.cfm?URI=OPEX-11-10-1149">http://www.opticsexpress.org/abstract.cfm?URI=OPEX-11-10-1149</a> [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Opt. Laser Technol.

• V.P.Gaponstev, S.M.Matitsin, A.A.Isyneev, V.B.Kravchenko, �??Erbium glass lasers and their applications,�?? Opt. Laser Technol. 14, 189-196 (1982). [CrossRef]

Opt. Lett.

• P. Laporta, S. Longhi, S. Taccheo, O. Svelto, G. Sacchi, �??Single-mode cw erbium-ytterbium glass laser at 1.5 µm,�?? Opt. Lett. 18, 31-33, (1993). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Opt. Mat.

• C. Strohofer, A. Polman, �??Enhancement of Er3+ 4I13/2 population in Y2O3 by energy transfer to Ce3+,�?? Opt. Mat. 17, 445-451, (2001). [CrossRef]

OSA TOPS 19 Adv. Solid State Lasers

• R. Fluck, U. Keller, E. Gini, H. Melchior, �??Eyesafe pulsed microchip laser�??, OSA TOPS 19 Adv. Solid State Lasers, W.R. Bosenberg and M.M. Fejer eds. (OSA, Washington, DC 1998) 146-149.

Phys. Rev. B

• S. Guy, M. F. Joubert, B. Jacquier, M. Bouazaoui, �??Excited-state absorption in BaY2F8:Nd3+,�?? Phys. Rev. B 47, 11001-6 (1993). [CrossRef]

Other

• W. Koechner, Solid State Laser Engineering, 5th edition, (Springer, Berlin, 1999)
• A. A. Kaminskii, Crystalline lasers: physical processes and operating schemes, (CRC Press, Boca Raton, 1996).
• J. C. Brice, The growth of crystals from liquids, (North-Holland, Amsterdam, 1973)

Click here to see a list of articles that cite this paper

Related Journal Articles

• Infrared emission and ion–ion interactions in thulium- and terbium-doped gallium lanthanum sulfide glass (JOSAB)
• Polarization and local disorder effects on the properties of Er³⁺-doped XBi(YO₄)₂, X=Li or Na and Y=W or Mo, crystalline tunable laser hosts (JOSAB)
• Photoluminescence enhancement in Yb³⁺:Er³⁺co-doped eutectic Al₂O₃: SiO₂ thin films by 980nm excitation (OE)
• Optical cooling in Er³⁺:KPb₂Cl₅ (OE)
• High Power Continuous-Wave and Graphene Q-switched Operation of Er:YAG Ceramic Lasers at ~1.6 μm (JOSK)

Related Conference Papers

• Hot YAG:Yb3+:Er3+ Crystal: A Potential Laser Medium for High Average Power 1.5 µm Lasers
• Spectroscopic Properties of Nd3+ and Highly Efficient Nd3+ to Yb3+ Energy Transfer in Transparent Sc2O3 Ceramics
• Passive Q-Switching at 1.54 mm of a Er-Yb:GdCa4O(BO3)3 Laser with a Co :MgAl2O4 Saturable Absorber
• Cationic Distribution and Spectral Properties of Nd3+ in Hexa-Aluminate Laser Crystals
• New crystalline material for 1.5 micrometer lasers: Yb,Er-activated GdCa4O(BO3)3