New configurations for short-pulses high power solid-state lasers: conception and realization of highly doped waveguide amplifiers/lasers grown by liquid phase epitaxy and demonstration of Y2SiO5: Yb and Lu2SiO5: Yb femtosecond lasers

Yb-doped yttrium and lutetium ortho-silicates, Y2SiO5:Yb and Lu2SiO5:Yb respectively, exhibit spectroscopic properties favorable to an efficient laser operation in both high power cw and femtosecond regime. Their first diode-pumped femtosecond operation demonstration lead to exceptional performances in terms of output power and efficiency. In order to realize compact and efficient solid-state laser devices using those materials, we chose a configuration with an Yb-doped medium planar waveguide geometry, grown by liquid phase epitaxy, face-pumped by a single laser diode bar. The growth of highly doped Y2SiO5:Yb layers, within a large range of compositions and thicknesses, was demonstrated. The refractive index increase due to the substitution of the various dopants is analyzed. The layers spectroscopic properties are similar to the bulk ones, with an noticeably higher crystalline quality. The Yb ion lifetime evolution with respect to its doping shows up a particularly low decrease, proof of a low concentration of extrinsic quenching centers. The covered YSO:24%Yb waveguides exhibit lower than 0.3 dB/cm propagation losses, and provided up to 2.9 dB/cm net amplification at 1082 nm with a single mode output. The realization of the first diode-pumped monolithic cw waveguide lasers was also demonstrated. For a 4% output coupler, they provided up to 340 mW at 1082 nm with a 14% slope efficiency. (author)