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Thick film growth of high optical quality low loss (0.1dBcm-1) Nd:Gd3Ga5O12 on Y3Al5O12 by pulsed laser deposition
T.C.May-Smith, C.Grivas, D.P.Shepherd, R.W.Eason, M.J.F.Healey*
Optoelectronics Research Centre, University of Southampton, UK
*Ion Beam Analysis Facility, Cranfield University, RMCS Shrivenham, Swindon, Wiltshire SN6 8LA, UK
Abstract
Thick film growth of high optical quality Nd:Gd3Ga5O12(Nd:GGG) on Y3Al5O12 (YAG) is reported, using the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique. Nd:GGG films with thickness up to 135 μm have been grown via sequential deposition runs and up to 40 μm in a single deposition. X-ray diffraction analysis shows that epitaxial growth has occurred and also confirms that the thick Nd:GGG films are single crystal. Analysis by Rutherford backscattering spectrometq shows that the stoichiometry of the thick Nd:GGG films is close to that of bulk Nd:GGG. The thick Nd:GGG films have fluorescence and absorption properties similar to that of bulk Nd:GGG, but slightly broadened. The Findlay-Clay technique of loss calculation has yielded a value of 0.1 dB cm−1 as an estimate of the propagation loss of one of the thick Nd:GGG films that we have subsequently used as a laser medium.
Applied Surface Science (2004) Vol.223 pp.361-371
doi: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2003.09.039
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Copyright University of Southampton 2006