Ti:Sapphire Description
Ti:Sapphire, or Titanium-doped Sapphire Crystal, is a synthetic crystal material that contains small amounts of titanium ions (Ti4+) substituting for aluminum ions (Al3+) in the crystal lattice of sapphire (α-Al2O3). This titanium doping introduces additional energy levels within the crystal, allowing it to absorb and emit light in the near-infrared and visible regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. The doping process also broadens the useful emission range of sapphire.
Ti:Sapphire Crystals are highly transparent in the visible and near-infrared regions. They are commonly used as gain media for solid-state lasers, enabling the generation of ultrafast laser pulses. The broad emission bandwidth of Ti:Sapphire crystals, coupled with their tunability, makes them valuable in various scientific and technological applications, including spectroscopy, biomedical imaging, micromachining, and material processing.
Typically, the Ti:Sapphire crystal is pumped with a laser, such as a frequency-doubled Nd:YAG laser, which excites the titanium ions. This excitation leads to the emission of intense and short laser pulses in the visible and near-infrared regions when the crystal is placed within an optical resonator.
Ti:Sapphire crystals offer advantages like high gain, broad tunability (from ultraviolet to near-infrared wavelengths), high-power capability, and excellent beam quality. These properties make Ti:Sapphire crystals popular in research laboratories and industrial settings for various scientific advancements and technological applications.
Ti:Sapphire Specifications
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Orientation
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Optical axis C normal to rod axis
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Ti2O3 Concentration
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0.06 - 0.2wt %
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Figure Of Merit
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100~300(>300 available on special requests)
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Diameter
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2-50mm
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Path Length
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2-100mm
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End Configurations
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Flat/Flat or Brewster/Brewster ends
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Flatness
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<λ/10 @ 633 nm
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Parallelism
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<10 arc sec
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Surface Finishing
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<10/5 scratch/dig to MIL-O-13830A
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Wavefront Distortion
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<λ/4 per inch
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Notes:
1. To inquire or order a finished crystal, please provide the specifications as listed above. For most applications, we only need to know the following:
1) Ti-dopant concentration; 2) Sizes; 3) Surface quality; 4) Coating.
2. For special requests, please provide a detailed specification for evaluation and fabrication.
Key Features and Benefits:
- Transparency: Highly transparent in the visible and near-infrared regions.
- Ultrafast Laser Pulses: Commonly used as gain media for solid-state lasers, enabling ultrafast laser pulse generation.
- Broad Emission Bandwidth: Ideal for a wide range of wavelengths, enhancing their tunability.
- High Gain and Power Capability: Suitable for high-power applications with excellent beam quality.
Ti:Sapphire Applications
1. Laser technology: Ti:sapphire crystals are widely used as gain media in solid-state lasers. These lasers find applications in various fields, including spectroscopy, metrology, material processing, and biomedical research.
2. Time-resolved spectroscopy: Ti:sapphire crystals enable the generation of ultrashort pulses that can be used to study ultrafast dynamics in various materials and biological systems. Time-resolved spectroscopy techniques using Ti:sapphire lasers have applications in chemistry, physics, and biology.
3. Optical coherence tomography (OCT): OCT is a medical imaging technique that uses low-coherence light to capture high-resolution, cross-sectional images of biological tissues. Ti:sapphire lasers provide the necessary light source with high coherence and tunability, enabling high-quality OCT imaging for various medical and biological applications.
4. Pump-probe spectroscopy: The ultrashort pulses generated by Ti:sapphire lasers are used as pump and probe beams in pump-probe spectroscopy. This technique allows for the investigation of ultrafast processes by measuring the changes in the sample's response induced by the pump pulse.
Ti: Sapphire Packing
Our Ti: Sapphire is carefully handled to prevent damage during storage and transportation and to preserve the quality of our product in its original condition.
Ti: Sapphire FAQs
Q1 What is the wavelength range of Ti:Sapphire lasers?
Ti:Sapphire lasers operate across a wide tunable range, typically:
- 700 nm to 1100 nm: Broad wavelength range for tunable laser systems
- 800 nm: Common wavelength for femtosecond laser systems When combined with nonlinear crystals, shorter wavelengths (e.g., UV or visible light) can be generated through harmonic generation or frequency mixing.
Q2 Why is Ti:Sapphire popular in ultrafast laser systems?
Ti:Sapphire crystals are ideal for ultrafast lasers because:
- They have a broad emission bandwidth, enabling femtosecond pulse generation.
- They provide excellent thermal conductivity, ensuring stable operation at high power.
- They support high gain and low lasing threshold for efficient energy conversion.
Q3 How are Ti:Sapphire crystals used for frequency conversion?
Ti:Sapphire lasers are often paired with nonlinear crystals (e.g., BBO or LBO) to achieve frequency conversion, generating shorter wavelengths through second-harmonic generation (SHG) or other nonlinear optical processes.
