Description of Ytterbium-doped Potassium-Gadolinium Tungstate Crystal
Yb3+: KGd(WO4)2 (Yb: KGW) is one of the most promising laser-active materials. Yb: KGW crystal is expected to replace Nd: YAG crystal and Yb: YAG crystal in a high-power diode-pumped laser system. Yb: KGW also has great potential for high power, short pulse time femtosecond lasers, and their wide application.
Advantages of Yb: KGW
- The width of the absorption line is wide, and the pump wavelength of the LD pump source with phase matching can be obtained without strict temperature control;
- The quantum defect is low, and the pump wavelength is very close to the laser output wavelength, which will lead to a large intrinsic laser slope efficiency, and the quantum efficiency is up to about 90% theoretically;
- Because the pumped energy level is close to the upper laser level, the thermal load in the material without radiation relaxation is low, which is only one-third of that of the same laser material doped with neodymium;
- No excitation state absorption and upconversion, high light conversion efficiency;
- Long fluorescence life, more than three times that of the same neodymium-doped laser material, is conducive to energy storage;
Specifications of Ytterbium-doped Potassium-Gadolinium Tungstate Crystal
Material specifications
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Chemical formula
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potassium gadolinium tungstate
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Crystal structure
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monoclinic double tungstates
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Density
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7.27 g/cm3
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Transmission range
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0.35-5.5 μm
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Mohs hardness
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4 to 5
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Refractive indices at 1060 nm
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ng = 2.037, np = 1.986, nm=2.033
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Optical and thermal properties
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Thermal conductivity
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Ka=2.6 W/mK, Kb=3.8 W/mK, Kc=3.4 W/mK
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Thermal optical coefficient @1064 nm
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dnp/dT=-15.7 * 10-6 K-1
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dnm/dT=-11.8 * 10-6 K-1
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dng/dT=-17.3 * 10-6 K-1
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Thermal expansion
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αa=4X10-6 /°C
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αb=3.6X10-6 /°C
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αc=8.5X10-6 /°C
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Melting temperature
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1075 °C
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Absorption cross-section
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1.2X10-19 cm2
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Stimulated emission cross-section (E| |a)
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2.6X10-20 cm2
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Laser wavelength
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1023-1060 nm
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Lasing threshold
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35 mW
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Stark levels energy (in cm-1) of the 2F5/2 manifolds of Yb3+ @ 77 K
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10682, 10471, 10188
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Stark levels energy (in cm-1) of the 2F7/2 manifolds of Yb3+ @ 77K
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535, 385, 163, 0
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optical damage threshold, GW/cm2
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20
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Applications of Ytterbium-doped Potassium-Gadolinium Tungstate Crystal
- Nonlinear microscopy
- Oscillators
- Regenerative amplifiers