Epitaxial layer-by-layer growth of Yb:YAG and YbAG PLD-films

In this contribution, we report on the 2-dimensional (2D) layer-by-layer growth of Yb(10%):Y3Al5O12 (YAG) and Yb3Al5O12 (YbAG) PLD-films on {100}-oriented YAG. The epitaxial growth was observed in situ by Reflection High Energy Electron Diffraction (RHEED) as intensity oscillations of the specularly reflected electron beam. The properties of the films were investigated ex situ by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and optical spectroscopy. The optical emission spectra of the films are similar to those of the corresponding crystalline bulk materials.