2.7 μm emission properties of Er3+/Yb3+/Eu3+: SrGdGa3O7 and Er3+/Yb3+/Ho3+: SrGdGa3O7 crystals

- MIR emission properties of Er3+/Yb3+/Re3+ (Re3+=Ho3+ and Eu3+): SrGdGa3O7 were studied.
- Er3+/Yb3+/Eu3+: SrGdGa3O7 showed decreased NIR emission and enhanced MIR emission.
- The self-saturation problem in Er3+/Yb3+/Eu3+: SrGdGa3O7 was suppressed greatly.
- Ho3+ cannot act as depopulation ions to suppress the self-saturation effect.

Er3+/Yb3+/Eu3+: SrGdGa3O7 and Er3+/Yb3+/Ho3+: SrGdGa3O7 crystals were grown by Czochralski technology and detailed spectroscopic analyses were carried out. It was found that the spectra of Er3+/Yb3+/Eu3+: SrGdGa3O7 crystal show weaker near-infrared emission and stronger mid-infrared emission as compared with Er3+/Yb3+: SrGdGa3O7 crystal. Furthermore, the lifetime of the 4I13/2 state decreases from 10.58 ms in Er3+/Yb3+: SrGdGa3O7 crystal to 6.87 ms in Er3+/Yb3+/Eu3+: SrGdGa3O7 crystal, that is, the self-saturation for 2.7 μm laser in Er3+/Yb3+/Eu3+: SrGdGa3O7 crystal is suppressed greatly. These results indicate that the doping of Eu3+ in Er3+/Yb3+: SrGdGa3O7 crystal is beneficial to improve the 2.7 μm laser. In contrast, introducing Ho3+ in Er3+/Yb3+: SrGdGa3O7 crystal is adverse to realize Er3+-activated MIR laser operation. So Er3+/Yb3+/Eu3+: SrGdGa3O7 crystal could be a potential MIR gain media for enhanced 2.7 μm laser.