Spectroscopy and lasing of Tm:SrMoO4 crystal near 1.5, 1.9, and 2.3-μm under 793-nm excitation

The spectroscopy properties and lasing of diode pumped Tm-doped strontium molybdate SrMoO4 single crystal were investigated at room temperature. The Tm:SrMoO4 crystal was grown by modified Stepanov method (2 wt.% of TmNbO4 in the melt). The tested Tm:SrMoO4 sample was cut from the grown crystal boule perpendicularly to growth direction 100. For spectroscopy and laser experiments 4.2mm thick plane-parallel face-polished plate (without AR coatings) was used. A fiber-coupled laser diode operating at wavelength 793nm was used for longitudinal Tm:SrMoO4 pumping which corresponds to 3H4 level excitation. Fluorescence spectra measurement showed strong emission in vicinity of 1.8 μm (3F4 → 3H6 transition), and also significant emission close to wavelengths 1.45 μm (3H4 → 3F4 transition) and 2.3 μm (3H4 → 3H5 transition). The lasing was successfully reached for all these three transitions and output characteristics were measured. The pumping laser diode was operating in the pulsed regime with a low duty cycle. The 145mm long semi-hemispherical laser resonator consisted of flat pumping mirror (HT @ 0.79 μm) and curved (r = 150mm) output coupler. For each lasing transition the particular set of resonator mirrors was used to reach high reflexivity of pumping mirror and output coupler transmission 0.5% at laser operation wavelength. The obtained laser emission wavelengths were 1.95 μm, 1.45 & 1.49 μm, and 2.30 μm. In spite of low laser slope efficiency in respect to absorbed pumping power (0.45% for 3H4 → 3F4 transition, 0.50% for 3F4 → 3H6 transition and 0.83% for 3H4 → 3H5 transition), results obtained are promising for further development of diode-pumped laser at 2.3 μm spectral region.