Laser emission at 1077 nm in Nd3+-doped calcium aluminosilicate glass

Laser emission at 1077 nm (F-4(3/2) --> I-4(11/2)) was demonstrated in Nd3+-doped low silica content calcium aluminosilicate (LSCA) glass under 810-nm pumping by a Ti:sapphire laser. The slope efficiency of the laser emission was found to be 34% with a 20-mW threshold power. The excited-state absorption (ESA) and stimulated emission were measured between 850 and 1520 nm. The results showed two ESA bands from 931 to 1070 nm (F-4(3/2) --> D-2(3/2), (2)G(9/2), (4)G(11/2), K-2(15/2)) and from 1160 to 1414 nm (F-4(3/2), (4)G(9/2)--> (4)G(7/2), K-2(13/2)). The stimulated emission for the laser transition was found to be 45-nm broad with a peak value of 1.8 X 10(-20) cm(2). Thermal and mechanical properties of the LSCA glass were compared to the ED-2 and LHG-8 glasses. While the mechanical properties of the LSCA glass are superior to those of the commercial glasses, its temperature coefficient of optical path length is the highest among the three hosts.