The New Laser Gain Material -- Fast Heating and Cooling
It is reported that the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) researchers have developed a new laser material - Nd-doped alumina crystals, capable of emitting ultra-short (theoretically as low as 7.7 fs), high-power pulses, available For the production of smaller, more powerful lasers with excellent thermal shock resistance.To achieve this, engineers have devised a new material processing strategy to dissolve high concentrations of cerium ions into the alumina crystals. Finally, the first yttrium alumina laser gain medium in the field of laser materials research was produced. Nd (dopant) and alumina (host material) are the two most widely used components of today's most advanced solid-state laser materials. However, combining Nd and alumina to prepare laser media presents a major challenge: their size is incompatible. Alumina crystals usually contain small ions such as titanium or chromium, while Nd ions are too bulky. The key to preparing a cerium alumina mixture...