Growth and characterization of Tm-doped Y2O3 single crystals

The rare-earth sesquioxides (RE2O3, RE = Lu, Y and Sc) are promising host materials for solid-state lasers due to their low phonon energy and high thermal conductivity. On the other hand, Tm3+ and Yb3+ are preferable activators for advanced laser diode pumped solid-state lasers. In addition to that, Tm-doped materials can be used for eye-safe lasers application. Tm-doped Y2O3 single crystals were grown using the micro-pulling-down method. Crystals were transparent with gray and blue colors of 4.2 mm in diameter and 13–20 mm in length. The crystallinity was characterized using X-ray rocking curve analysis. Tm-doped Y2O3 single crystals have a good compositional homogeneity along the growth axis and their thermal conductivity was calculated from the measurements of thermal diffusivity, heat capacity and density. We have also recorded absorption, fluorescence spectra and measured fluorescence lifetimes as a function of the Tm content, we have found a very attractive fluorescence around the eye-safe wavelength of 1.9 mm which corresponds to a 3F4 → 3H6 transition of Tm3+.