Comparison of Yb/sup 3+/ doped silicate crystalline hosts for the 1 /spl mu/m laser oscillation

Summary form only given. Three different new Yb/sup 3+/ doped crystalline silicate hosts: Yb:YSO (Y/sub 2/SiO/sub 5/); Yb:CAS (Ca/sub 2/Al/sub 2/SiO/sub 7/) and Yb:SYS (Sr/sub 4/Y(SiO/sub 4/)/sub 3/O) have been grown by the Czochralski process. Laser action has been demonstrated in a plano-concave cavity under Ti:SA pumping for the three hosts. Laser effects were analysed taking into account the different features of the various materials: spectroscopic parameters, crystal field effects and thermal properties.