Effect of color converters on the performance of solar or light-emitting diode pumped solid-state lasers

The effect of using external frequency converters on the luminescence intensity of an Nd:YAG crystal is studied. The crystal is illuminated by light-emitting diode (LED) with and without Y3Al5O12:Ce3+ material as an external converter. Obtained experimental results show that the luminescence intensity of Nd:YAG crystal increased by 1.5 times when Nd:YAG crystal is illuminated by LED together with color converter based on Y3Al5O12:Ce3+ demonstrating that external frequency converters can be a potential candidate for creating more efficient solar or LED pumped lasers.

Fabrication of Tapered Circular Depressed-Cladding Waveguides in Nd:YAG Crystal by Femtosecond-Laser Direct Inscription

Crystalline materials are excellent substrates for the integration of compact photonic devices benefiting from the unique optical properties of these materials. The technique of direct inscription with femtosecond lasers, as an advantage over other techniques, has opened the door to the fabrication of true three-dimensional (3D) photonic devices in almost any transparent substrate. Depressed-cladding waveguides have been demonstrated to be an excellent and versatile platform for the integration of 3D photonic circuits in crystals. Here, we present the technique that we have developed to inscribe tapered depressed-cladding waveguides with a circular section for the control of the modal behavior. As a proof of concept, we have applied the technique to fabricate structures in Nd:YAG crystal that efficiently change the modal behavior from highly multimodal to monomodal, in the visible and near infrared, with reduction factors in the waveguide radius of up to 4:1. Our results are interesting for different devices such as waveguide lasers, frequency converters or connectors between external devices with different core sizes.

Frequency Difference Thermally and Electrically Tunable Dual-Frequency Nd:YAG/LiTaO3 Microchip Laser

This study presents a dual-frequency microchip laser with a thermo-optically and electro-optically tuned frequency difference. The dual-frequency microchip cavity is formed by bonding a Lithium tantalite (LiTaO3, LTO) crystal chip and a neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) crystal chip. A single longitudinal mode is generated by the Nd:YAG crystal and split into two frequencies with perpendicular polarizations due to birefringent effect in the LTO chip. Furthermore, continuous beat frequency tuning at different scales is realized by adjusting the temperature and voltage applied to the LTO crystal. A maximum beat frequency of up to 27 GHz is obtained, and the frequency difference lock-in phenomenon is observed below the frequency difference of 405 MHz.