Optimization of spectroscopic properties of ytterbium-doped laser glasses

Four laser glasses with high emission cross sections are experimentally obt ained. The laser performance parameters are determined from the spectroscop ic parameters of these glasses and compared with those of developing laser glasses abroad. It is shown that Yb3+ -doped telluorogermanate, Yb3+ -doped niobosilicate glasses have the highest emission moss section and gain coef ficient, the smallest minimum pumping intensity and saturation pumping inte nsity, and the lowest minimum fraction of excited ions. Yb3+ -doped berate glass follows just behind them. These glasses have some spectroscopic advan tages over laser glasses developed recently elsewhere. Yb3+ -doped phosphat e glass is comparable to phosphate laser glass which had high emission cros s section and was developed recently by HOYA Corporation in Japan. The dome stic glasses with optimum spectroscopic properties may be promising candida tes for applications in high-average power and high-peak power solid state lasers, especially laser for the next generation laser nuclear fusion facil ity.