Introduction
Titanium-doped sapphire (Ti:sapphire)
crystals combine supreme physical and optical
properties with broadest lasing range.
It's indefinitely long stability and useful lifetime added
to the lasing over entire band of 660-1050 nm challenge
"dirty" dyes in variety of applications. Medical laser systems,
lidars, laser spectroscopy, direct femtosecond pulse generation
by Kerr-type mode-locking - there are few of existing and
potential applications.
The absorption band of Ti:Sapphire centered at 490 nm makes
it suitable for variety of laser pump sources - argon ion,
frequency doubled Nd:YAG and YLF, copper vapour lasers.
Because of 3.2 µs fluorescence lifetime Ti:Sapphire crystals
can be effectively pumped by short pulse flashlamps in powerful
laser systems.
CRYSTECH have successfully produced large-sized
(Dia.120x80mm) Ti:Sapphire by using the growth method
of Temperature Gradient Technique (TGT). TGT is characterized
by the capabilities of growing (0001) oriented sapphire
with high doping level (a490=7.5cm-1) high gain, and high
laser damage threshold. Pulsed, quasi-cw, cw, ps and fs
lasing with high efficiency have been realized using TGT
grown Ti: Sapphire. It can also meet current application
such as in large aperture amplifiers for high power generation
and laser fusion etc.
Basic Properties:
|
Chemical
formula:
|
Ti3+:
Al2O3
|
|
Crystal
structure:
|
Hexagonal
a=4.758, c=12.991
|
|
Density:
|
3.98
g/cm3
|
|
Melting
point:
|
2040oC
|
|
Mohs
hardness:
|
9
|
|
Thermal
conductivity:
|
52
W/m/k
|
|
Laser
action:
|
4-Level
Vibronic
|
|
Fluorescence
lifetime:
|
3.2m s
(T=300K)
|
|
Tuning
range:
|
660
- 1050 nm
|
|
Absorbtion
range:
|
400
- 600 nm
|
|
Emission
peak:
|
795
nm
|
|
Absorption
peak:
|
488
nm
|
|
Refractive
index:
|
1.76
@ 800 nm
|
Ti:Sapphire’s specifications:
|
Orientation:
|
Optical
axis C normal to rod axis
|
|
Ti2O3
concentration:
|
0.06
- 0.5wt %
|
|
Figure
Of Merit:
|
>250
|
|
End
configurations:
|
Flat/Flat
or Brewster/Brewster ends
|
|
Flatness:
|
l /10
@ 633 nm
|
|
Parallelism:
|
10
arc sec
|
|
Surface
finishing:
|
10/5
scratch/dig to MIL-O-13830A
|
|
Wavefront
distortion:
|
l /4
per inch
|
Note: AR Coating is available
on request
Laser Crystals