Lasers and Optics Optical properties and highly efficient laser oscillation of Nd:YAG ceramics

Abstract. Optical absorption, emission spectra have been measured for polycrystalline Nd-doped Y3Al5O12 ceram-ics. Fluorescence lifetimes of 257.6µs, 237.6µs, 184.2µs and 95.6µs have been obtained for 0.6%, 1%, 2 % and 4% neodymium-doped YAG ceramics, respectively. For the first time, highly efficient laser oscillation at 1064 nm has been ob-tained with this kind of ceramics. Slope efficiency of 53% has been achieved on a uncoated 4.8-mm thick 1 % Nd:YAG ceramics sample. Optical to optical conversion efficiency is 47.6%. Laser oscillation has also been obtained with a 2% Nd:YAG ceramics. The optical properties and laser output results have been compared with that of Nd:YAG single crys-tal grown by the Czochralski method. Almost identical re-sults have been achieved including laser experiments results. But fabrication of Nd:YAG ceramics is much easier com