Titanium-doped titanium sapphire (Ti:Sapphire, Ti3+:Al2O3) crystal is an excellent laser medium that can generate ultra-short pulse, high gain and high power laser. Due to its wide gain bandwidth and superior thermodynamic properties, Ti:Sapphire crystals are the main laser gain medium for ultrafast ultra-high power laser systems. The absorption band of Ti:Sapphire is centered at ~490 nm, so it can be easily pumped by various laser sources, such as argon-ion lasers.
Alfa Chemistry is a specialist in custom laser crystals and will patiently and carefully guide our customers through the Ti:Sapphire laser crystal customization process online. We use the advanced method of temperature gradient technology (TGT) to grow Ti:Sapphire crystals.
Advantages of Ti:Sapphire Crystals
Ti:Sapphire crystals have excellent mechanical, thermal and optical properties, allowing the development of laser systems with very high average and peak power. Doping sapphire with Ti3+ gives it a wide emission band, producing tunable lasers with wavelengths from about 660 to 1180 nm, resulting in short-pulse lasers of less than 10 fs. This amplifier material is currently the most widely used in tap-watt femtosecond laser chains based on chirped pulse amplification (CPA) technology.
Fig 1. As-grown Ti:sapphire crystal (a) and Ti:sapphire wafer with diameter of 157 mm (b). (Ning K, et al. 2015)
Properties of Ti:Sapphire Crystals
| Optical and Spectral Properties | |
|---|---|
| Absorption Range | 400 ~ 600 nm |
| Tuning Range | 660 ~ 1050 nm |
| Density | 3.98 g/cm3 |
| Melting Point | 2040 ℃ |
| Mohs Hardness | 9 |
| Thermal Conductivity | 33 W/M/K |
| Crystal Structure | Hexagonal, a=4.758, c=12.991 |
| Refractive Indices | 1.76 @ 800 nm |
| Emission Peak | 795 nm |
| Absorption Peak | 488 nm |
| Spontaneous Fluorescence | 230 us |
| Fluorescence Lifetime | 3.2 µs (T=300K) |
| Absorption Cross Section | (at peak wavelength) 38×10-20 cm2 |
| Emission Cross Section | Σ532nm = 4.9 x 10-20 cm2 Σ490nm = 6.4 x 10-20 cm2 Σ790nm = 41×10-20 cm2 |
| Alfa Chemistry offers Ti:Sapphire specification | |
| Dimension | Upon customer request |
| Ti2O3 Concentration | 0.03 ~ 0.25wt % |
| Figure Of Merit | 100~250 Upon customers request |
| Orientation | Optical axis C normal to rod axis |
| Flatness | l /8 ~1/10@ 633 nm |
| Surface Finishing | 10/5 scratch/dig to MIL-O-13830A |
| Clear Aperture | > 90% |
| Damage Threshold | 750MW/cm2 at 1064nm, TEM00, 10ns, 10Hz |
| Coating | AR/HR coating upon customer's request |
| Quality Warranty Period | One year under proper use |
Why Choose Alfa Chemistry?
Ti:Sapphire laser crystals of the highest quality can be customized by Alfa Chemistry. We can offer high precision Ti:Sapphire crystals with excellent surface quality and up to 1/10th flatness based on the advanced processing technology of HGO. The crystals come in route lengths of 2mm to 100mm with diagonal sizes ranging from 2mm to 60mm.
A further significant development is the availability of Tisapphire-based diffusion bonding configurations, particularly in the form of pure sapphire/Ti:Sapphire diffusion bonding.
If you need technical advice, please contact our technical team to learn more about our high-quality services.
Reference
- Ning K, et al. (2015). "Growth and Characterization of Large-Scale Ti:sapphire Crystal Using Heat Exchange Method for Ultra-Fast Ultra-High-Power Lasers." CrystEngComm. 17: 801-2805.