Description
Due to the toughness and the flexible and cheap production process, CaF2 has been used in many substrate materials for laser crystals. As an amplifying ion, Yb3+ also allows a three-level laser scheme, leading to low quantum defects and a significantly longer fluorescence lifetime. Yb3+:CaF2 can also provide a high optical efficiency and high output powers due to the reduced thermal load. Recently, ytterbium-doped alkaline-earth fluoride is mostly used in diode-pumped femtosecond laser and amplifiers. Alkaline-earth fluorides which can be easily grown by using the standard Czochralski or Bridgman technique show a great potential in the wide transmission range, high damage threshold and low dispersion behavior.
Features
Applications
Chemical and physical properties
Property |
Value |
Chemicalformula |
Yb3+:CaF2 |
Crystalstructure |
cubic |
Latticeparameters, |
5.462 |
Orientation |
[111] or [100] < ±0.5° |
Massdensity |
3.18 g/cm3 |
Mohshardness |
4 |
Young'smodulus |
146GPa |
Tensilestrength |
2GPa |
Meltingpoint |
1418°C |
Thermalconductivity |
9.71 |
SpecificHeat/ (Jg-1K-1) |
0.8876 |
ThermalExpansion /(10-6/°C@25°C |
(16.5...19.4) |
Thermalshock resistance parameter |
800W/m |
Refractive Index @ 1064 nm |
1.2996 |
Optical properties
Property |
Value |
Optical Density |
0.1 to 0.8 |
Fluorescencelifetime |
2.4ms |
Concentrations |
0.5mol % ~ 30 mol % |
Emissionwavelength |
1015nm ~ 1060 nm |
AbsorptionCoefficient |
1.0cm-17 cm-1 |
Ground state absorption cross section |
0.8x10-20 cm2 |
Emission state absorption cross section: |
2.2x10-20 cm2 |
Transmission |
10% to 90% |
Coatings |
AR0.2% @1030nm |
Damage Threshold: |
> 500 MW / cm2 |
Polishing Specification
Property |
Value |
OrientationTolerence |
<0.5° |
Thickness/DiameterTolerance |
±0.05mm |
Surface Flatness |
</8@632nm |
Wavefront Distortion |
</8@632nm |
Surface Quality |
10/5 |