1．3at%Nd：YAG透明陶瓷的制备及激光性能研究

Fabrication and Laser Performance of 1.3at%Nd:YAG Transparent Ceramics

以高纯氧化物商业粉体为原料,采用固相反应和真空烧结技术,制备了高质量的1.3at%Nd:YAG透明陶瓷.研究了室温下Nd:YAG透明陶瓷的显微结构、光谱及激光性能.实验结果表明,Nd:YAG透明陶瓷主要以穿晶方式断裂;平均晶粒尺寸为15μm,且分布均匀;晶粒中和晶界处没有检测到杂质和气孔存在,且成分一致,无偏析现象.退火后样品在激光波长1064nm处的透过率高达82.4%;主吸收峰位于808.6nm处,峰值吸收系数为4.45cm^(-1),激光波长1064nm处的吸收系数为0.11cm^(-1);主荧光发射峰位于1064nm处,半高宽为0.82nm,荧光寿命为258μs.用LD端面泵浦Nd:YAG陶瓷样品(泵浦源最大输出功率为1000mW),获得了波长为1064nm的连续激光输出,激光阈值约530mW,斜率效率为23.2%,最大泵浦吸收功率为731mW时,最大输出功率为45mW.

High-quality 1.3at% neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet （Nd：YAG） transparent ceramic was fabricated by a solid-state reaction method and vacuum sintering using high-purity α-Al2O3, Y2O3 and Nd2O3 as raw materials with tetraethoxysilane （TEOS） as sintering aid, The microstructure, the spectral property and the laser performance of the prepared Nd：YAG ceramic were studied. It is found that the sample exhibits pore-free structure with average grain size of 15μm. There is no secondary phase in the grain boundary and grain. Transmittance of the sample after annealing reaches 82.4% at the laser wavelength of 1064nm. The highest absorption peak is centered at 808.6nm and the absorption coefficient is 4.45cm^-1. The peak absorption coefficient at laser wavelength of 1064nm is 0.11cm^-1. The FWHM of 1064nm main emission peak is 0.82nm, and the fluorescence lifetime is 258μs. A laser diode （808nm） was used as pump source whose maximium output was 1000mW, and endpumped laser experiment was demonstrated on 1.3at%Nd：YAG ceramic. The sample for laser testing is φ16mm×2.8mm in dimension, mirror-polished on both sides and without coating. With 731mW of maximum absorbed pump power, laser output of 45mW is obtained with slope efficiency of 23.2%. The laser threshold is 530mW.