Progress in the growth of Yb : S-FAP laser crystals

Growth of Yb:S-FAP [Yb3+ :Sr-5(PO4)(3)F] crystals is being studied for 1.04 7 mum laser operation. These crystals are not yet routinely available and t he growth of high optical quality, low loss crystals poses a challenge due to a number of crystal growth issues, including, cloudiness, bubble core de fects, anomalous absorption, Pow-angle grain boundaries, and cracking. At t his time, a growth process has been formulated to simultaneously eliminate or greatly diminish each of the defects to yield high quality material. Las er slabs of dimension 4.0 x 6.0 x 0.75 cm are being fabricated from subscal e pieces using the diffusion bonding technique. (C) 2001 Published by Elsev ier Science B.V.