Laser crystals are optical crystals used as gain media for solid-state lasers. Laser crystals are made of a particularly special material and are frequently doped with different ion kinds. In most cases, they are doped with trivalent rare earth ions (such as neodymium, ytterbium or erbium) or transition metal ions (titanium or chromium). By excited emission when energy is applied to the crystal through the absorption of pump light, these ions allow the crystal to amplify light at laser wavelengths.
Crystals often have larger leap cross sections, narrower absorption and emission bandwidths, higher thermal conductivities, and potential birefringence than doped glasses.
Alfa Chemistry offers different combinations of laser crystal bodies and ion dopants for basic and applied research and industrial applications. Nd-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG), Yb-doped potassium gadolinium tungstate (Yb:KGW), Yb-doped potassium yttrium tungstate (Yb:KYW), Nd-doped potassium gadolinium tungstate (Nd:KGW), and titanium-doped sapphire (Ti:Sapphire) are available in standard and custom sizes from Alfa Chemistry.
Common Laser-Active Dopants
| Ion | Common Host Crystals | Important Emission Wavelengths |
|---|---|---|
| Neodymium (Nd3+) | YAG, YALO, YVO4, YLF, tungstates (KGd(WO4)2, KY(WO4)2) | 1064, 1047, 1053, 1342, 946 nm |
| Ytterbium (Yb3+) | YAG, tungstates (KGW, KYW, KLuW), YVO4, borates (BOYS, GdCOB), apatites (SYS), sesquioxides (Y2O3, Sc2O3) | 1030, 1020 - 1070 nm |
| Erbium (Er3+) | YAG, YLF | 2.9, 1.6 μm |
| Thulium (Tm3+) | YAG | 1.9 - 2.1 μm |
| Holmium (Ho3+) | YAG | 2.1, 2.94 μm |
| Titanium (Ti3+) | sapphire | 650–1100 nm |
| Chromium (II) (Cr2+) | zinc chalcogenides such as ZnS, ZnSe, and ZnSxSe1−x | 2 - 3.4 μm |
| Chromium (III) (Cr3+) | Al2O3, LiSrAlF6, LiCaAlF6, LiSrGaF6 | 0.8 - 0.9 μm |
| Chromium (IV) (Cr4+) | YAG, MgSiO4 | 1.35 - 1.65 μm (YAG), 1.1 - 1.37 μm (MgSiO4) |
If the laser crystal you need is not listed on the website, please contact us for customization.