Tm-doped Crystals for mid-IR Optical Cryocoolers and Radiation Balanced Lasers
Abstract
We report the complete characterization of various cooling grade Tm-doped crystals including the first demonstration of optical refrigeration in Tm:YLF crystals. Room temperature laser cooling efficiencies of 1% and 2% (mol) Tm:YLF, and 1% Tm:BYF crystals at different excitation polarizations are measured and their external quantum efficiency and background absorption are extracted. By performing detailed low-temperature spectroscopic analysis of the samples, global minimum achievable temperatures of 160 K to 110 K are estimated. The potential of Tm-doped crystals to realize mid-IR optical cryocoolers and radiation balanced lasers (RBLs) in the eye-safe region of the spectrum is discussed, and a promising 2-tone RBL in a tandem structure of Tm:YLF and Ho:YLF crystals is proposed.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.1901.07737,
title = {Tm-doped Crystals for mid-IR Optical Cryocoolers and Radiation Balanced Lasers},
author = {Saeid Rostami and Alexander R. Albrecht and Azzurra Volpi and Markus P. Hehlen and Mauro Tonelli and Mansoor Sheik-Bahae},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1901.07737},
year = {2019}
}
Comments
References were updated. (4 pages, 5 figures)