Abstract
Repetitive Q-switched miniature laser sources around 1 5μm are useful tools for applications such as time-of-flight rangefinding. Until now, the only laser transition available in this wavelength region was the optical transition 4I13/2 →4I15/2 of erbium ions in phosphate glasses. However, it was pointed out recently that a continuous wave laser emission at 1 5μm based on the 3H4→3F4 optical transition of thulium ions can be obtained easily in fluoride crystals such as LiYF4 thanks to sensitization with Yb3+ ions. The advantage of such codoping is that Yb3+ ions act both as a sensitizer to absorb the emission from high power InGaAs laser diode and, at the same time, depopulate efficiently the lower 3F4 level and recycle the energy up into the 3H4 emitting level Moreover, unlike the Er-glass system, Yb:Tm:YLF presents good thermomechanical properties allowing higher pulse repetition rates and average output powers
© 2000 IEEE
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