[IEEE 2019 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics Europe & European Quantum Electronics Conference (CLEO/Europe-EQEC) - Munich, Germany (2019.6.23-2019.6.27)] 2019 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics Europe & European Quantum Electronics Conference (CLEO/Europe-EQEC) - Rare-Earth Doped Oxide Glasses and Fibers for Lasers Emitting in the 2÷3 μm Spectral Range

摘要： The aim of this investigation is the search of novel promising materials for solid-state and fiber lasers emitting in the spectral range 2÷3 microns, i.e. out of the range where the well-developed rare-earth doped silica fibers can successfully operate. We have stopped our choice on tellurite and calcium aluminate glasses. In contrast to silica glasses, both these glass types can contain high (>1021 cm-3) amounts of rare earth dopants. In contrast to ZBLAN glass that is widely used for mid-infrared fiber lasers, both tellurite and aluminate glasses can be quite stable to air moisture. Furthermore, calcium aluminate glasses are prominent for their extraordinary mechanical properties (better than those of fused silica). Our spectral investigations have shown that deeply dehydrated tellurite glasses (TG) are very suitable hosts for 2.3 μm Tm3+ lasers and can be also used as a host for 2.7 μm Er3+ lasers. As for calcium aluminate glasses (CAG), their phonon spectrum is not suitable for 2.7 for μm lasers. But the emission properties of Tm3+ ions in this host show some unusual feature. Two-micron Tm3+ emission band in CAG is anomalously widened and red shifted so that it overlaps well with the 2.3μm emission band. Thus continuous tuning of Tm doped CAG fiber laser from ~2μm up to ~2.4μm is conceivable. Figures 1 and 2 give some examples of bulk Tm-doped TG and CAG lasing properties. Fig. 1 shows the 2.3μm lasing parameters of 30 mm long TG sample when pumped by a pulsed ruby laser. CAG in similar conditions showed cascade lasing at 2.3μm and 2.1μm. Fig. 2 shows the lasing parameters of a quasi CW diode-pumped CAG chip laser, operating at the wavelength of 2.1 μm. Surely most practical applications of such laser glasses require fiber configuration. We have developed the laboratory technology of TG multimode and single-mode double-cladding fibers fabrication. In Tm doped TG fibers laser action at 1.9 μm and 2.3 μm was successfully demonstrated. Er doped fibers were also manufactured but 2.7 μm laser action in them requires highly reflective fiber Bragg gratings to be made in them. Fabrication of CAG fibers is a very complicated technological task due to high tendency of CAG to devitrification. Nevertheless, using “rod-in-tube” method we have prepared an optical fiber starting from Tm-doped CAG rod in a silica tube. Unfortunately, the core of this fiber contained too much SiO2 diffused from the cladding. The choice of a suitable lower-melting cladding glass should solve the problem. Thus, the properties of deeply dehydrated rare-earth doped tellurite and calcium-aluminate glasses are shown to be quite pertinent for lasers emitting in the 2÷3 μm spectral range.