Efficient energy transfer between Ce3+/Cr3+ and Nd3+ ions in transparent Nd/Ce/Cr:YAG ceramics

This paper reports the spectroscopic and laser characteristics of transparent ceramics of YAG:Nd co-doped with Ce and Cr. The ceramics were prepared by advanced ceramic techniques and showed more than 85% of transparency. Diode pumped laser oscillation performed at different output coupler transmissions (T) showed that a maximum slope efficiency of 16% was achieved for T = 3%. The cross energy transfer mechanism under violet laser diode pumping has been analyzed and the possible energy transfer mechanisms have been proposed using the various energy levels of the dopant ions. The emission lifetimes of the dopant ions at two different concentrations have also been found.