Lu2O3 : Yb3+ ceramics - a novel gain material for high-power solid-state lasers

We have developed Yb3+:Lu2O3 ceramics with nanocrystalline technology and a vacuum sintering method. A laser diode end-pumped efficient Yb-3(+):Lu2O3 ceramic laser was demonstrated. A 0.7 W cw output power was obtained with the slope efficiency of approximate to36% at 1035 nm wavelength, and 0.95 W with the slope efficiency of approximate to53% at 1079 nm. We classify the Lu2O3 : Yb-3(+) ceramics as gain medium for high-power solidstate lasers. (C) 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.