Energy transfer (ET) and heat generation processes in Yb³⁺/Tm³⁺-co-doped low-silica calcium-aluminosilicate glasses were investigated using thermal lens and photoluminescence measurements. Stepwise ET processes from Yb³⁺ to Tm³⁺, with excitation at 0.976µm, produced efficient emission in the mid-infrared range at around 1.8µm, with high fluorescence quantum efficiency (~0.50) and relatively low thermal loading (≤0.42). An equation was deduced for the description of the thermal lens results which provided the absolute value of the ET efficiency and optimal Tm³⁺ concentration that result in population of the 1.8µm Tm³⁺ emitting level. These results suggest that the studied co-doped system would be a promising candidate for the construction of high-power diode-pumped solid-state lasers in the mid-infrared range, which are especially important for the purpose of medical procedures.

© 2007 Optical Society of America

1. L. E. Batay, A. A. Demidovich, A. N. Kuzmin, A. N. Titov, M. Mond, and S. Kuck, "Efficient tunable laser operation of diode-pumped Yb,Tm:KY(WO4)2 around 1.9 μm," Appl. Phys. B 75, 457-461 (2002). [CrossRef]
2. D. Y. Shen, J. K. Sahu, and W. A. Clarkson, "High-power widely tunable Tm:fibre lasers pumped by an Er,Yb co-doped fibre laser at 1.6 μm," Opt. Express 14, 6084 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
3. J. F. Wu, S. B. Jiang, T. Qua, M. Kuwata-Gonokami, and N. Peyghambarian, "2 μm lasing from highly thulium doped tellurite glass microsphere," Appl. Phys. Lett. 87, 211118 (2005). [CrossRef]
4. G. Galzerano, F. Cornacchia, D. Parisi, A. Toncelli, and M. Tonelli, "Widely tunable 1.94 μm Tm: BaY2F8 laser," Opt. Lett. 30, 854-856 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
5. S. L. Oliveira, S. M. Lima, T. Catunda, L. A. O. Nunes, J. H. Rohling, A. C. Bento, and M. L. Baesso, "High fluorescence quantum efficiency of 1.8 μm emission in Tm-doped low silica calcium aluminate glass determined by thermal lens spectrometry," Appl. Phys. Lett. 84, 359-361 (2004). [CrossRef]
6. C. Jacinto, D. N. Messias, A. A. Andrade, S. M. Lima, M. L. Baesso, and T. Catunda, "Thermal lens and Z-scan measurements: Thermal and optical properties of laser glasses - A review," J. Non-Cryst. Solids 352, 3582-3597 (2006). [CrossRef]
7. D. F. de Sousa, L. F. C. Zonetti, M. J. V. Bell, J. A. Sampaio, L. A. O. Nunes, M. L. Baesso, A. C. Bento, and L. C. M. Miranda, "On the observation of 2.8 μm emission from diode-pumped Er3+- and Yb3+-doped low silica calcium aluminate glasses," Appl. Phys. Lett. 74, 908-910 (1999). [CrossRef]
8. D. F. De Sousa, L. A. O. Nunes, J. H. Rohling, and M. L. Baesso, "Laser emission at 1077 nm in Nd3+-doped calcium aluminosilicate glass," Appl. Phys. B 77, 59-63 (2003). [CrossRef]
9. C. J. da Silva, M. T. de Araujo, E. A. Gouveia, and A. S. Gouveia-Neto, "Fourfold output power enhancement and threshold reduction through thermal effects in an Er3+/Yb3+-codoped optical fiber laser excited at 1.064 μm," Opt. Lett. 24, 1287-1289 (1999). [CrossRef]
10. R. Scheps, "Upconversion laser processes," Prog. Quantum Electron. 20, 271-358 (1996), and references therein. [CrossRef]
11. Y. Jeong, P. Dupriez, J. K. Sahu, J. Nilsson, D. Y. Shen, W. A. Clarkson, and S. D. Jackson, "Power scaling of 2 μm ytterbium-sensitized thulium-doped silica fibre laser diode-pumped at 975 nm," Electron. Lett. 41, 173-174 (2005). [CrossRef]
12. C. Jacinto, S. L. Oliveira, L. A. O. Nunes, J. D. Myers, M. J. Myers, and T. Catunda, "Normalized lifetimes thermal lens method for the determination of luminescence quantum efficiency and thermo-optical coefficients: Application to Nd3+-doped glasses," Phys. Rev. B 73, 125107 (2006). [CrossRef]
13. C. Jacinto, S. L. Oliveira, L. A. O. Nunes, T. Catunda, and M. J. V. Bell, "Thermal lens study of the OH- influence on the fluorescence efficiency of Yb3+-doped phosphate glasses," Appl. Phys. Lett. 86, 071911 (2005), and references therein. [CrossRef]
14. C. Jacinto, S. L. Oliveira, T. Catunda, A. A. Andrade, J. D. Myers, and M. J. Myers, "Upconversion effect on fluorescence quantum efficiency and heat generation in Nd3+-doped materials," Opt. Express 13, 2040-2046 (2005), and references therein. [CrossRef] [PubMed]
15. J. A. Sampaio, S. Gama, M. L. Baesso, and T. Catunda, "Fluorescence quantum efficiency of Er3+ in low silica calcium aluminate glasses determined by mode-mismatched thermal lens spectrometry," J. Non-Cryst. Solids 351, 1594-1602 (2005). [CrossRef]
16. D. C. Hanna, R. M. Percival, R. G. Smart, and A. C. Tropper, "Efficient and Tunable Operation of a Tm-Doped Fiber Laser," Opt. Commun. 75, 283-286 (1990). [CrossRef]

Appl. Phys. B

• L. E. Batay, A. A. Demidovich, A. N. Kuzmin, A. N. Titov, M. Mond, and S. Kuck, "Efficient tunable laser operation of diode-pumped Yb,Tm:KY(WO4)2 around 1.9 μm," Appl. Phys. B 75, 457-461 (2002). [CrossRef]
• D. F. De Sousa, L. A. O. Nunes, J. H. Rohling, and M. L. Baesso, "Laser emission at 1077 nm in Nd3+-doped calcium aluminosilicate glass," Appl. Phys. B 77, 59-63 (2003). [CrossRef]

Appl. Phys. Lett.

• S. L. Oliveira, S. M. Lima, T. Catunda, L. A. O. Nunes, J. H. Rohling, A. C. Bento, and M. L. Baesso, "High fluorescence quantum efficiency of 1.8 μm emission in Tm-doped low silica calcium aluminate glass determined by thermal lens spectrometry," Appl. Phys. Lett. 84, 359-361 (2004). [CrossRef]
• J. F. Wu, S. B. Jiang, T. Qua, M. Kuwata-Gonokami, and N. Peyghambarian, "2 μm lasing from highly thulium doped tellurite glass microsphere," Appl. Phys. Lett. 87, 211118 (2005). [CrossRef]
• C. Jacinto, S. L. Oliveira, L. A. O. Nunes, T. Catunda, and M. J. V. Bell, "Thermal lens study of the OH- influence on the fluorescence efficiency of Yb3+-doped phosphate glasses," Appl. Phys. Lett. 86, 071911 (2005), and references therein. [CrossRef]
• D. F. de Sousa, L. F. C. Zonetti, M. J. V. Bell, J. A. Sampaio, L. A. O. Nunes, M. L. Baesso, A. C. Bento, and L. C. M. Miranda, "On the observation of 2.8 μm emission from diode-pumped Er3+- and Yb3+-doped low silica calcium aluminate glasses," Appl. Phys. Lett. 74, 908-910 (1999). [CrossRef]

Electron. Lett.

• Y. Jeong, P. Dupriez, J. K. Sahu, J. Nilsson, D. Y. Shen, W. A. Clarkson, and S. D. Jackson, "Power scaling of 2 μm ytterbium-sensitized thulium-doped silica fibre laser diode-pumped at 975 nm," Electron. Lett. 41, 173-174 (2005). [CrossRef]

J. Non-Cryst. Solids

• J. A. Sampaio, S. Gama, M. L. Baesso, and T. Catunda, "Fluorescence quantum efficiency of Er3+ in low silica calcium aluminate glasses determined by mode-mismatched thermal lens spectrometry," J. Non-Cryst. Solids 351, 1594-1602 (2005). [CrossRef]
• C. Jacinto, D. N. Messias, A. A. Andrade, S. M. Lima, M. L. Baesso, and T. Catunda, "Thermal lens and Z-scan measurements: Thermal and optical properties of laser glasses - A review," J. Non-Cryst. Solids 352, 3582-3597 (2006). [CrossRef]

Opt. Commun.

• D. C. Hanna, R. M. Percival, R. G. Smart, and A. C. Tropper, "Efficient and Tunable Operation of a Tm-Doped Fiber Laser," Opt. Commun. 75, 283-286 (1990). [CrossRef]

Opt. Express

• C. Jacinto, S. L. Oliveira, T. Catunda, A. A. Andrade, J. D. Myers, and M. J. Myers, "Upconversion effect on fluorescence quantum efficiency and heat generation in Nd3+-doped materials," Opt. Express 13, 2040-2046 (2005), and references therein. [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• D. Y. Shen, J. K. Sahu, and W. A. Clarkson, "High-power widely tunable Tm:fibre lasers pumped by an Er,Yb co-doped fibre laser at 1.6 μm," Opt. Express 14, 6084 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Opt. Lett.

• G. Galzerano, F. Cornacchia, D. Parisi, A. Toncelli, and M. Tonelli, "Widely tunable 1.94 μm Tm: BaY2F8 laser," Opt. Lett. 30, 854-856 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• C. J. da Silva, M. T. de Araujo, E. A. Gouveia, and A. S. Gouveia-Neto, "Fourfold output power enhancement and threshold reduction through thermal effects in an Er3+/Yb3+-codoped optical fiber laser excited at 1.064 μm," Opt. Lett. 24, 1287-1289 (1999). [CrossRef]

Phys. Rev. B

• C. Jacinto, S. L. Oliveira, L. A. O. Nunes, J. D. Myers, M. J. Myers, and T. Catunda, "Normalized lifetimes thermal lens method for the determination of luminescence quantum efficiency and thermo-optical coefficients: Application to Nd3+-doped glasses," Phys. Rev. B 73, 125107 (2006). [CrossRef]

Prog. Quantum Electron.

• R. Scheps, "Upconversion laser processes," Prog. Quantum Electron. 20, 271-358 (1996), and references therein. [CrossRef]

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