Yb:LuAG laser ceramics: a promising high power laser gain medium

Yb:LuAG laser ceramics with different Yb3+ doping concentrations were successfully fabricated by using a solid-state reactive sintering method. SEM graphs demonstrate that the samples have a dense and pore-free microstructure. Based on the spectroscopic studies the ceramics have a large emission cross-section of 2.7 x 10(-20) cm(2) at 1030 nm emission peak. CW laser operation of the samples has given 7.2 W output power with 65% slope efficiency. (C) 2012 Optical Society of America