Determination of suitable hosts for Rare-Earth doped planar upconversion waveguide lasers.

确定稀土掺杂平面上转换波导激光器的合适主体。

• 批准号: EP/G003319/1
• 负责人: Martin Charlton
• 金额: $ 37.89万
• 依托单位: University of Southampton
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2009 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=EP%2FG003319%2F1
• 关键词: Determination; suitable; hosts; Rare; Earth

Ultimately, we propose to fabricate compact, mass-producible, high-power visible wavelength lasers. These solid-state lasers operate by a process called upconversion which is quite different from the frequency doubling mechanism utilised in green laser pointers . As such, these upconversion lasers represent an innovative and highly disruptive laser technology; a technology that does not currently have a commercial outlet.The upconversion laser scheme to be employed here uses light from cheap, readily available semiconductor lasers operating in the near infrared, and by absorbing 2 or 3 infrared photons excites Rare-Earth ions to a high energy state from where they can emit light at visible wavelengths.The proposed research is necessary in order to identify suitable materials for the key component of the upconversion laser, the low-loss optical waveguide that hosts the gain-providing Rare-Earth element.We propose to carry out this initial research using the well-studied Rare-Earth Praseodymium (Pr) with Ytterbium (Yb) as a co-dopant. We chose Pr for a number of reasons including:1) Emission at multiple visible wavelengths including blue/green, green and red.2) Previous proof of high efficiency upconversion lasing in ZBLAN optical fibres.3) Use of a single wavelength pumping source when co-doped with Ytterbium (Yb).4) The apparent lack of a photodarkening mechanism.In point 4), photodarkening refers to a mechanism associated with upconversion using the Rare-Earth Thulium (Tm) whereby the Tm ion as well as emitting the (wanted) blue photon, also emits an (unwanted) high energy ultraviolet photon that damages - or photodarkens - many host materials. This photodarkening basically increases the optical loss of the host to the point where lasing is not possible (the loss exceeds the gain). It is purely this photodarkening problem that has prevented the commercial use of Tm in upconversion lasers for the blue part of the visible spectrum.Although Praseodymium does not appear to exhibit photodarkening, it does require a low phonon energy host otherwise it will undergo radiationless transitions that severely reduce its emission at optical wavelengths, and makes lasing impossible. Unfortunately, the most commonly used materials for planar optical waveguides typically have peak phonon energies that are too high to accommodate Pr as the active Rare-Earth. Hence, the purpose of this proposed research, to find a suitable low-loss, low phonon energy host material that will enable upconversion lasing using Rare-Earth elements such as Pr.Success in identifying a suitable host material will allow high-power visible wavelength lasers to be mass-produced. This in turn would allow the creation of a new high-technology laser company which would further increase the U.K's profile in this very strategic area.

最终，我们建议制造紧凑的，质量可观的，可见的波长激光器。这些固态激光器通过称为上转换的过程运行，该过程与绿色激光指针中使用的频率加倍机制大不相同。因此，这些上转换激光器代表了一种创新且高度破坏性的激光技术。一项目前没有商业渠道的技术。在此使用的上转换激光方案使用在近红外运行的便宜，易于使用的半导体激光器中的光，并通过吸收2或3个红外光子激发稀土离子能量状态从它们可以在可见波长处发出光线。为了确定上转换激光器的关键成分的合适材料，该研究是必要的，这是携带具有增益稀有增益的稀有元素的低损耗光波导。建议使用Ytterbium（YB）作为共同培养体进行精心研究的稀土praseodymium（PR）进行这项初步研究。我们选择PR的多种原因，包括：1）在多个可见波长下排放，包括蓝色/绿色，绿色和红色。2）先前证明了ZBLAN光纤中高效率上转化激光的证据。3）使用单个波长泵源时使用单个波长与ytterbium（YB）共同掺杂。4）明显缺乏光标记机制。 （想要的）蓝色光子，还散发出（不需要的）高能量紫外线光子，该光子会损害许多宿主材料。这种光电标记基本上将宿主的光损失增加到无法激发的点（损失超过增益）。纯粹是这个光电标记的问题，阻止了可见光谱的蓝色部分在上转换激光器中商业使用TM。尽管praseodymium似乎没有表现出光电标记，但它确实需要低声子能量宿主，否则会经历无辐射的过渡严重降低光波长下的排放，使得不可能。不幸的是，最常用的平面光学波导材料通常具有峰值的声子能量，无法容纳PR作为活性稀土。因此，这项拟议的研究的目的是找到合适的低损坏，低声子能量宿主材料，该材料将使用稀土元素（例如pr.success）在识别合适的宿主材料方面允许高功率可见波长，从而实现向上转换激光。激光器是大量生产的。反过来，这将允许创建一家新的高科技激光公司，该公司将进一步提高英国在这个非常战略领域的概况。

项目成果

Structural characteristics and optical properties of plasma assisted reactive magnetron sputtered dielectric thin films for planar waveguiding applications

• DOI: 10.1016/j.surfcoat.2012.05.110
• 发表时间: 2012-07
• 期刊: Surface & Coatings Technology
• 影响因子: 5.4
• 作者: S. Pearce;M. Charlton;J. Hiltunen;J. Puustinen;J. Lappalainen;J. Wilkinson

Fabrication of photonic crystals in rare-earth doped chalcogenide glass films for enhanced upconversion

在稀土掺杂硫族化物玻璃薄膜中制造光子晶体以增强上转换

• DOI: 10.1117/12.908014
• 发表时间: 2012
• 作者: Pollard M

Properties of rare earth doped thin film dielectric layers for upconversion laser waveguides

用于上转换激光波导的稀土掺杂薄膜介电层的特性

• DOI: 10.1117/12.883187
• 发表时间: 2011
• 作者: Pearce S

Experimental demonstration of on-chip optical parametric oscillation in planar tantalum pentoxide waveguides

平面五氧化二钽波导片上光学参量振荡的实验演示

• DOI: 10.1117/12.860614
• 发表时间: 2010
• 作者: Chen R

Chi 3 dispersion in planar tantalum pentoxide waveguides in the telecommunications window.

• DOI: 10.1364/ol.34.001135
• 发表时间: 2009-04
• 期刊: Optics letters
• 影响因子: 3.6
• 作者: Ruiqi Chen;M. Charlton;P. Lagoudakis