CRYSTAL-GROWTH, FREQUENCY-DOUBLING, AND INFRARED-LASER PERFORMANCE OFYB3+BACABO3F

Yb : BaCaBO3F (Yb : BCBF) has been investigated as a new laser crystal with potential for self-frequency doubling, Yb3+ in BCBF exhibits a m aximum absorption cross section at 912 nm of 1.1 x 10(-20) cm(2) with a bandwidth (FWHM) of 19 nm. The maximum emission cross section at 103 4 nm is 1.3 x 10(-20) cm(2) with a transition bandwidth of 24 nm. The measured emission lifetime of Yb3+ is 1.17 ms. An Yb:BCBF laser has be en demonstrated with a Ti:sapphire pump source, and a measured slope e fficiency of 38% has been obtained for the fundamental laser output. S ingle crystal powders of BCBF have been compared with KDP for a relat ive measure of the second-harmonic generating potential, yielding d(ef f) (BCBF) similar to 0.26 pm/V. The phasematching angle has been estim ated from the refractive index data for type I second-harmonic generat ion of 0.517 mu m light; the predicted angle is 37 degrees from the c- axis. The growth, spectroscopy, laser performance, and linear and nonl inear optical properties of Yb:BCBF are reported.