Nanocrystalline (Ho0.03Y0.97)2Hf2O7 luminophore for near- and mid-infrared

In recent years, a great scientific effort was dedicated to extending the operating range of lasers and amplifiers beyond the conventional 1.5 – 2.0 μm. Lasers operating in the mid-infrared range 2 – 5 μm find various applications as LIDARs, sensors, medicine, etc. However, the commonly used silica glass is unsuitable for emission above 2 μm due to the high phonon energy of the silica lattice, which completely quenches emission at longer wavelengths. The materials based on crystalline structure are perspective low-phonon materials for laser operation in the mid-infrared rage. In this contribution, we present the preparation and properties of a novel laser-active material based on holmium-doped yttrium-hafniate (Ho0.03Y0.97)2Hf2O7. The emission around 3 μm is successfully demonstrated.