Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy of Pr3+:Lu2O3 Single Crystal

Rare earth-doped crystals and fibers have long been used as laser active media in the UV, VIS, and NIR spectral regions, but only a limited number of materials have shown laser emission beyond 3 μm, mainly because of the competition between radiative and non-radiative processes that limit the emission efficiency of these materials at long wavelengths. The ideal material must have excellent crystal quality, good thermo-physical parameters, wide transparency region in the mid infrared (MIR) and low phonon energies. Most of the research has been focused on fluorides, bromides and chlorides [1], but these compounds are often hygroscopic and/or the optical quality of grown samples (especially chlorides and bromides) is low both for the presence of scattering centers and contamination with quenching centers.