Efficient Laser Operation of Transparent "Mixed" 7 at.% Er:(Lu,Sc)2O3 Sesquioxide Ceramics near 2.8 µm

Erbium lasers emitting at ~2.8 µm according to the 4 I 11/2 → 4 I 13/2 transition are of practical interest for microsurgery, remote sensing and atmosphere pollution monitoring. Among the existing laser gain media for ~2.8 µm lasers, cubic rare-earth sesquioxides Er:A 2 O 3 (A = Lu, Y, Sc) appear promising due to their good thermal properties, low phonon energies and high Er 3+ doping levels [1] . The ceramic technology for sesquioxides offers lower synthesis temperatures (the melting point of Lu 2 O 3 is 2450 °C), and the possibility to fabricate in a more straightforward manner "mixed" materials [2] . We report on the synthesis, spectroscopy and first laser operation of a "mixed" ceramic Er:(Lu,Sc) 2 O 3 .