Speaker: Dr Maria Cinta Pujol, FiCMA FiCNA, University of Rovira & Virgili
Date: 7 July 2010
Time: 2pm
Venue: B53 Seminar Room
Abstract:
KRE(WO4)2, RE= Gd, Y, Yb, Lu and mixed) belong to the potassium double tungstate family with space group C2/c (2/m point symmetry). In comparison to other laser crystals, these compounds exhibit a strong anisotropy of the spectroscopic properties, leading to one of the highest absorption/ emission cross sections for selected principal polarizations and also, relatively large RE-RE ion separation allowing doping levels with minimum quenching effects, hence they possess very attractive laser properties.
The laser operation of Pr3+, Nd3+, Dy3+, Ho3+, Er3+, Tm3+ and Er3+ ions in bulk monoclinic potassium double tungstates has already been reported. As thin films, two main applications have been proved for these materials: thin disk lasers and optical waveguides.
High-quality crystals of monoclinic KRE(WO4)2 (RE=Gd, Y, Yb, Lu and mixed) undoped, and doped with Lanthanide active ions are grown with sizes sufficient for its characterization and substantial progress was achieved in the field of their physical anisotropic characterization and spectroscopy and finally, its laser operation.
It will be reviewed the growth methodology for bulk KREW and epitaxial layers based on high temperature solutions. Their monoclinic structure creates a high anisotropy in their optical (dielectric frame and linear and nonlinear refractive index), thermal (thermal conductivity and linear thermal expansion) and thermo-optical properties (thermo optic coefficients and athermal direction), which have been determined carefully. Their spectroscopic properties and also, some approach to their crystal field have been also studied and will be presented. Recently Laser achievements in Yb, Tm and Er laser will be also presented.
Biography:
Maria Cinta Pujol was born in Reus, Spain, in 1973. She received the Ph.D. degree in chemistry from University Rovira i Virgili (URV), Tarragona, Spain, in 2001 for work on the growth and characterization of lanthanide doped monoclinic double tungstates.
In 2004 she became a member of the URV research group FiCMA (Physics and Crystallography of Materials), as a Ramon y Cajal Researcher. Currently she is an associated professor in the same group and her research is focused on the growth of bulk crystals and synthesis of nanocrystals of lanthanide doped materials as laser hosts, and their physical, structural and spectroscopic characterization. She has coauthored more than 60 papers in scientific journals.