4.5 Article

CeF3 single crystals for UV-VIS-IR optical isolators

Journal

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF APPLIED CERAMIC TECHNOLOGY
Volume 20, Issue 4, Pages 2047-2054

Publisher

WILEY
DOI: 10.1111/ijac.14398

Keywords

crystal growth; optical materials; properties; single crystals

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Optical isolators (OIs) are necessary to protect laser sources from back-reflections. Single-crystalline Faraday rotators (FRs) with a large Verdet constant V, such as CeF3, are highly desired to reduce the cost and size of OIs. CeF3 has shown superior performance in terms of transmittance and figure-of-merit compared to the standard Tb3Ga5O12 (TGG), especially in the ultraviolet (UV) wavelength range.
Optical isolators (OIs) are needed to protect laser sources from back-reflections. Driven by the fast-growing market of laser marking and machinery, and the increasing cost of rare-earth-based permanent magnets, single-crystalline Faraday rotators (FRs) with a large Verdet constant V are highly desired to reduce the cost and size of OIs. Furthermore, the need for finer laser procedures (marking, cutting, welding) is shifting the used laser emissions toward shorter wavelengths: into the visible (VIS), where standard Tb3Ga5O12 (TGG) has a poor transmittance, and even into the ultraviolet (UV), where TGG possesses overlapping Tb 4f-4f absorption bands. In recent years CeF3 has emerged as a new FR with a unique transmittance and an outstanding V in the UV wavelength region, and a superior figure-of-merit in the VIS range compared to TGG. Recently, its small thermal lensing and high damage threshold for high-power have been demonstrated, exhibiting optical isolation > 30 dB under 600 W @ 1070 nm. This review first summarizes the basic properties and crystal growth of CeF3, then focuses on its Faraday magneto-optical performance. Last but not the least, the typical crystal defects encountered during the development of CeF3 are discussed.

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