Efficient laser operation of Yb:Lu3Al5O12 transparent ceramics fabricated from laser ablated nanopowders

Ytterbium-doped transparent ceramics based on cubic garnets are promising for thin-disk lasers. 3.6 at.% Yb:Lu₃Al₅O₁₂ transparent ceramics were fabricated by a solid-state reaction at 1800 °C in vacuum using Yb:Lu₂O₃ and Al₂O₃ nanopowders produced by laser ablation and their spectroscopic properties were studied. The stimulated-emission crosssection is 2.46×10^-20 cm² at 1030.2 nm. The Stark splitting of the Yb³⁺ multiplets was also determined. A compact CW Yb:Lu₃Al₅O₁₂ ceramic laser pumped by a fiber-coupled 968 nm InGaAs laser diode generated 5.65 W at ~1031 nm with a slope efficiency of 67.2%. Using quasi-CW pumping, the peak power reached 8.83 W.