Gadolinium scandium gallium garnet(GSGG) codoped with Cr is a laser material with high efficiency. An electro-optic shutter element was first utilized to provide Q-switched operation of the ruby laser. Passive Q-switched ruby lasers were achieved with saturable dye absorbers and colored glass (compounds of selenium and cadmium sulfide. Recently the operational characteristics of a dye Q-switch for a pulsed ruby laser was still studied for application in underwater holography. However, the dye Q-switch was limited in durability because of degradation (decomposition) of the dyes and the glass Q-switch was readily damaged. Thus, the tetravalent chromium doped gadolinium scandium gallium garnet Gd3Sc2Ga3O12 (Cr4+: GSGG) passive Q-switch ruby laser-offers for the first time high reliability, durability and high efficiency.
Cr:GSGG crystal a crystal which shows high efficiency and high reliability.
Cr4+: GSGG has been utilized for the first time to provide a saturable absorber Q-switch for the ruby laser. Single output pulse operation (100 mJ and 27 ns duration) with efficiencies relative to the free-running ruby laser operation of 25-30% was routinely obtained. The crystalline material GSGG:Cr3+ is currently of interest as a broad-band, room temperature laser material. The small separation between the 4T2 and 2E electronic levels of Cr3+ in the system can result in interesting spectroscopic behaviour. People have investigated the temperature dependence of the CW and transient luminescence, and have found it to be consistent with a model for the dominant Cr3+ site in which the lowest energy 2E and 4T2 levels are approximately coincident in energy at low temperature.
Spectroscopic properties
Emission wavelength (nm) | 1061.2 |
Emission cross section (pm2)a | 13 |
R2->Y3 transition linewidth (cm-1) | 11.5 |
Nd3+ fluorescence lifetime (ps) at low concentrations (<1017cm-3 ) | 273-283 |
Nd3+ concentration for which lifetime is reduced by 50% (1020 Nd ions cm-3) | 5 |
Optical properties
Refractive index at 1064 nm | 1.9424 |
Index change with temperature, dn/dt,(10-6 k-1) | 10.9 |
Elasto-optic constants | |
P11 | -0.0120.003 |
P12 | 0.0190.003 |
P44 | -0.06650.0013 |
Thermo-mechanical Properties
Density (g*cm-3) | 6.495 |
Heat capacity (J*g-1*K-1) | 0.4029 |
Thermal conductivity (W*m-1*K-1) | 6 |
Thermal expansion (10-6 K-1) | 7.5 |
Poisson’s ratio | 0.28 |
Young’s modulus (GPa) | 210 |
Fracture toughness (MPa ) | 1.2 |
Thermal- stress resistance (W*m-1)b | 660 |