Saturable absorber: transparent glass-ceramics based on a mixture of Co:β-Zn2SiO4 and Co:ZnO nanocrystals.

We report on the development of novel saturable absorbers for erbium lasers based on transparent glass-ceramics (GCs) containing a mixture of cobalt-doped β-willemite, Co<sup>2+</sup>:β-Zn<sub>2</sub>SiO<sub>4</sub>, and zinc oxide, Co<sup>2+</sup>:ZnO, nanosized (10-14 nm) crystals. The structure of the parent glass and GCs is studied by x-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, transmission electron microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. Variations of absorption spectra with heat-treatment reveal that Co<sup>2+</sup> ions from the parent glass enter the crystals of ZnO and β-willemite. GCs are characterized by a broad absorption band due to the A<sub>2</sub>4(F4)→T<sub>1</sub>4(F4) transition of Co<sup>2+</sup> ions in tetrahedral sites spanning up to ∼1.74  μm, relatively low saturation fluence, F<sub>S</sub>=0.75  J/cm<sup>2</sup> at 1.54 μm, short recovery time, τ=830  ns, and high laser damage threshold, ∼14  J/cm<sup>2</sup>. By using the developed GCs in a diode-side-pumped Er, Yb:glass laser, 0.77 mJ/45 ns pulses are generated.

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