Crystal growth and spectroscopic analysis of Ho,Pr:Lu₂O₃ crystal for a 2.9 µm mid-IR laser

The EFG technique was used to successfully grow a crystal of Ho,Pr:Lu 2 O 3 . The crystal's spectroscopic features were investigated. Ho,Pr:Lu 2 O 3 has an absorption cross-section of 0.47 × 10 −20 cm 2 at 647 nm and 0.20 × 10 −20 cm 2 at 1147 nm. The fluorescence characteristics of the grown crystal at 2.9 µm were examined using the J-O theory. Calculations were made for the intensity parameters Ω t (t = 2, 4, 6), radiative transition rates, branching ratios, and radiative lifetime. Ho,Pr:Lu 2 O 3 demonstrated significant emission at 2104 and 2893 nm, with stimulated emission cross sections of 2.96 × 10 −21 cm 2 and 4.24 × 10 −21 cm 2 , respectively. Ho 3+ 5 I 6 and 5 I 7 levels were found to have fluorescence lifetimes of 0.55 ms and 3.23 ms, respectively.