LASER AND FLUORESCENT CRYSTALLINE MATERIALS

• US 3,725,811 A
• Filed: 09/15/1969
• Issued: 04/03/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Joseph Murphy
• Original Assignee: Joseph Murphy
• Inventors: Murphy, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Sikes, William L.
• Application Number:
  US04/866,413
• Time in Patent Office: 1,296 Days
• Field of Search: 331/94.5 252/301.4,301.6
• US Class Current: 372/41
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/42 based on chromites C04B35/047 and C04B35/105 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/44 based on aluminates
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/465 based on alkaline earth metal titanates
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/16 Solid materials

Abstract

Refractory host materials containing a transition metal ion, for example an ion of scandium, titanium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron or chromium and a rare earth ion, for example Nd3 , Dy3 , Ho3 or Sm2 , are suitable for laser applications. The transition metal ion and the rare earth ion are substitutionally disposed in the host lattice to replace a metal ion of the host.

Claims

2. A laser crystal as defined by claim 1 wherein the ion of the rare-earth is selected from the group consisting of Nd3 , Dy3 , Tm3 , and Ho3 , the transition metal ion is Cr3 and the host crystal is selected from the group consisting of LaAlO3, Y2O3, Y3Al5O12, and GdAlO3.

3. A laser crystal as defined by claim 1 wherein the ion of the rare-earth is selected from Nd3 , Dy3 , Tm3 , Ho3 , and Sm2 , the transition metal ion is V2 and the host crystal is selected from the group consisting of CaF2 and ZnF2.

4. A laser crystal as defined by claim 1 wherein the rare-earth ion is selected from the group consisting of Nd3 , Dy3 , Tm3 , Ho3 , and Sm2 , the transition metal ion is Mn4 and the host crystal is selected from the group consisting of BaTiO3, CaTiO3, and SrTiO3.

5. A laser crystal of the formula La1 xNdxAl1 yCryO3 wherein x is a positive number up to 0.05, inclusive, and y is a positive number up to 0.01, inclusive.

6. A laser of LaAlO3 containing 0.05 mol percent of Nd2O3 and 0.05 mol percent of Cr2O3.

7. A laser crystal of LaAlO3 containing 2 mol percent of Nd2O3 and 0.5 mol percent of Cr2O3.

8. The method of producing a crystalline laser member comprising firing an intimate fine powder mixture of 0.05 to 5 mol percent of an oxide of a rare-earth selected from the group consisting of neodymium, dysprosium, samarium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, and holmium, 0.05 to 1 mol percent of an oxide of a transition metal selected from the group consisting of scandium, titanium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, and nickel, and 94 to 99.9 mol percent of a compound selected from the group consisting of GdAlO3, LaAlO3, Y2O3, Y3Al5O12, CaF2, BaTiO3, ZnF2, CaTiO3, and SrTiO3 and oxides engendering the compounds, at a high temperature until a single-phase crystalline material is produced.

9. A yttrium aluminum garnet crystal host containing neodymium ions and from 0.0005 to 1 percent chromium ions. 1.0 The crystal of claim 9 containing from 0.05 to 5 percent of neodymium ions and 0.05 to 1 percent of chromium ions.

11. A crystalline material suitable for use as a laser in association with pump radiation, comprising (1) a refractory host material transparent in the region of the pump radiation, the host material comprising a metal ion in the crystal lattice thereof, (2) at least 0.0005 mol percent of a rare earth ion selected from the group consisting of Nd3 , Dy3 , Tm3 , Ho3 , Sm2 and (3) at least 0.0005 mol percent of a transition metal ion selected from the group consisting of V2 and Mn4 , said metal ion of the host material being substantially equal in size to the rare-earth and transition metal ions.

12. The crystalline material of claim 11 wherein the rare-earth ion is Nd3 .

13. A laser comprising a material containing chromium and neodymium, resonant means for supporting optical energy emitted by said material, and means for supplying energy at the absorption frequencies of said material to said material, wherein said material consists of the composition of matter having the molar composition:

Y(3 X) NdX A1(5 y) Cry O12 wherein x is in the range 0.0003 <

or = x <

or = 0.06 and y is in the range 0.0005 <

or = y <

or = 0.1.

14. The composition of matter having the molar composition Y(3 x) Ndx Al(5 y) Cry O12 wherein x is in the range 0.0003 <

or = x <

or = 0.06 and y is in the range 0.0005 <

or = y <

or = 0.1.

15. In combination, a material containing chromium and neodymium and means for supplying energy in the spectral range of the chromium absorption so that energy absorbed by the chromium is transferred to neodymium, wherein said material consists of the composition of matter having the formula:

R(a b) Ndb A1(c d) Crd Oe wherein R is selected from the group consisting of Y and La, a is 3 when R is Y and 1 when R is La, b is in the range 0.0003 <

or = b <

or = 0.06, c is 5 when R is Y and 1 when R is La, d is in the range 0.0005 <

or = d <

or = 0.1 and e is 12 when R is Y and 3 when R is La.

16. The composition of matter having the formula:

R(a b) Nd Al(c d) Crd Oe wherein R is selected from the group consisting of Y and La, a is 3 when R is Y and 1 when R is La, b is in the range 0.0003 <

or = b <

or = 0.06, c is 5 when R is Y and 1 when R is La, d is in the range 0.0005 <

or = d <

or = 0.1 and e is 12 when R is Y and 3 when R is La.