Temperature influence on diode pumped Yb:GGAG laser

We present temperature influence (in range from 78 up to 400,K) on spectroscopic properties and laser performance of new Yb-doped mixed garnet Gd3GaxAl5-xO12 (Yb:GGAG). The sample was 2.68 mm thick plane-parallel face-polished Yb:GGAG single-crystal plate which was AR coated for pump (930 nm) and generated (1030 nm) laser radiation wavelength. The composition of sample was Gd3.098Yb0:0897Ga2:41Al2.41O12 (3 at % Yb/Gd). The Yb:GGAG crystal was mounted in temperature controlled copper holder of the liquid nitrogen cryostat. The 138 mm long semi-hemispherical laser resonator consisted of a flat pumping mirror (T > 90 % @ 930 nm, HR @ 1030 nm) placed inside cryostat, and a curved output coupler (r = 150 mm, R = 94.5 % @ 1030 nm) placed outside cryostat. For longitudinal pumping a fiber coupled laser diode was used. The diode was operating in the pulse regime (5 ms pulse length, 20 Hz repetition rate) at wavelength 928.5 nm. The absorption spectrum was measured for the temperatures from 78 to 400 K, and absorption lines narrowing was observed with temperature decrease. Zero-phonon line at 970 nm has width 1 nm (FWHM) at 100 K. The fluorescence intensity decay time was measured and it increased linearly with temperature from 864 μs @ 78 K to 881 μs @ 300 K. The temperature of active medium has strong influence mainly on laser threshold which was 5 times lower at 100 K than at 300 K, and on slope efficiency which was 3 times higher at 100 K than at 300 K.