Laser Materials

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Product Information

Laser Material made by SCHOTT Advanced Optics

Laser Glass Materials

Because of its unique properties, glass is an ideal host material for the rare earth ions that give optically pumped lasers their power. Having long been at the forefront of optical glass manufacturing technology, SCHOTT understands how to successfully blend glass’ wide-ranging compositional attributes with desired rare earth properties. The result is active laser glass products that are specifically tailored to your unique application, possessing the characteristics needed to excel in high-energy, high-average power uses.

SCHOTT’s innovation doesn’t stop there. In meeting a wide variety of laser glass challenges, SCHOTT has successfully developed platinum-particle-free melting. This process allows for significantly more advanced manufacturing options and customization, including:

High-fluence laser glass components, which operate without laser-induced damage
Large volume laser slabs, available in apertures to 40 cm and in large quantities, which enable high-energy storage for inertial confinement fusion programs
Zig-zag slabs and large diameter laser rods with the highest optical quality and homogeneity possible, which can help make high-output power of materials processing laser systems a reality

Active Materials supporting Laser Applications:

APG-1 and APG-760 - Laser Glass of SCHOTT Advanced Optics

Silicate based glasses for 1 µm emission:
- LG-680
Phosphate based glasses for 1 µm emission:
- LG-7x series:
  - LG-750
  - LG-760
  - LG-770
- APG-1 and APG-760
- BLG-80

Laser Material LG9x series - made by SCHOTT Advanced Optics

Phosphate based glasses for 1.5 µm emission:
- LG-9x series:
  - LG-940
  - LG-950 (only available outside NAFTA)
  - LG-960

Other Materials for Active Laser Glass Applications:

Other materials and components for pump cavities:

S7010N (10% Sm-doping)

Blocking the 1060nm wavelength and UV pump light from Nd:YAG, Nd:glass, etc.

S7005 (5% Sm-doping):

Recommended for elements with thicknesses >6mm
Blocking the 1060nm wavelength and UV pump light from Nd:YAG, Nd:glass, etc.

S7000 (Ce-doping):

UV-cut off material

Edge cladding glasses

For each of our 1.0 μm emission glasses we offer adapted edge cladding glasses on request

Our References

ELI Beamlines (https://www.eli-beams.eu/en/)
ELI NP (http://www.eli-np.ro/)
LLNL (https://www.llnl.gov/
LULI (https://portail.polytechnique.edu/luli/en
DARPA (https://www.darpa.mil/)
Sandia National Laboratories (http://www.sandia.gov/)
GIST (https://ewww.gist.ac.kr/en/)
LLE (http://www.lle.rochester.edu/)
RAL (http://www.stfc.ac.uk/)

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Advantages

Processing can be done with standard machining methods
Wide range of dimensions
Large emission width
Free of Platinum inclusions
High optical homogenity
different doping levels available upon request
AR- and HR-coatings with high laser damage threshold available

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Supply Forms

Delivery Forms of Active Materials | Typical Values for Laser Glass Components | Edge Cladding Glass

All active laser glasses are available as fully finished components, such as rods, slabs and discs, manufactured according to customer specifications.

Delivery Forms of Active Materials
Rod dimensions	Diameter: between 2 mm and 64 mm
Rod dimensions	Length: between 10 mm and 570 mm
Slab/bar dimensions	Maximum size: approx. 500 mm x 350 mm x 30 mm
Slab/bar dimensions	Minimum size: approx. 1 mm x 1 mm x 5 mm
Surface quality	Roughness rms: > 1nm
Surface quality	Transmitted wavefront distortion: > ʎ/10(depending on geometry)

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Typical Values for Laser Glass Components

Big Rods
Sizes	up to Ø 50 x 450 mm³
typical	Ø 25 x 250 mm³
Parallelism	< 30 arcsec
Surface roughness RMS	down to 0.4 nm
TWD	down to λ/20
AR reflectivity (1053 nm)	< 0.2 %
LIDT (AR, 1064 nm, 10 ns)	> 30 J/cm²
Coating max. length	250 mm
Angular inclination end faces possible

Small Rods
Sizes typical	Ø 2 x 20 mm³
or	2 x 3 x 10 mm³
Parallelism	< 30 arcsec
Perpendicularity	< 5 arcmin
TWD	< λ/20
AR reflectivity (940, 1532 nm)	< 0.2 %
LIDT (AR, 1550 nm, 10 ns)	> 30 J/cm²
Precise chamfers possible (e. g. 80 ± 20 μm)

For all items: Other dimensions, wavelengths, and tighter tolerances available on request.

Slabs
Sizes up to	up to 600 x 425 x 45 mm³
typical	300 x 400 x 10 mm³
Parallelism	< 5 arcsec
Surface roughness RMS	down to 0.4 nm
TWD	down to λ/10
Coating max. diameter	350 mm
LIDT (AR, 1064 nm, 10 ns)	> 30 J/cm2
Complex chamfer design available

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Edge Cladding Glass

Edge cladding glass is used for active laser materials to absorb light from spontaneous and amplified spontaneous emission. These effects are reducing laser efficiency and can damage the active materials.

Typical Technical Properties (other values are possible)
Index match to laser glass	+/- 0.003
Absorption coefficient at laser wavelength	0.10 to 0.40 cm^-1
Accuracy of absorption coefficient	+/- 0.02 cm^-1

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Technical Details

Relevant Materials | Specifications | Contract Melting | High-End Component Manufacture | Quality Assurance

Relevant Materials

SCHOTT offers active laser glass with phosphate and silicate base compositions.

Specifications

Active Glasses
Silicate based laser glass	LG-680 is the classic laser glass that features a high cross-section, high ultraviolet transmission, and high resistance to solarization. This glass is commonly employed in high-repetition rate solid-state laser systems.
Phosphate based laser glass for high energy applications	LG-750, LG-760, LG-770 have been developed to meet the needs of the high- energy solid-state laser community. All three glasses exhibit a high laser cross- section, a low non-linear refractive index, and thermal characteristics. All are available in a form free of all metallic platinum particles or other inclusions that can exhibit laser damage.
Phosphate based laser glass for high power and ultra-short pulse applications	APG-1 is a phosphate glass with enhanced thermal mechanical properties desirable in high-average power applications. The broad emission bandwidth of these materials has been utilized in femtosecond regime laser systems. The lower gain cross-section and the long low concentration emission lifetime have made this glass of interest in applications limited by amplified stimulated emission and/or intended for excitation by diode lasers.
Phosphate Laser Glass for High Power Applications at 1.00 μm	APG-760 is the next generation of our advanced laser glasses with increased thermo-mechanical properties. It is recommended to be used as active material in laser systems with high repetition rates.
Phosphate ´Eye-safe´ laser glass for 1.5 μm emission	LG-940, LG-950, LG-960 is an Er- and Yb-doped phosphate-glass for use in flash lamp or diode-pumped laser systems. It has a very low dn/dT, good thermal properties and a very high emission cross-section. Typical applications are laser range finding and medical lasers.
Broadband Laser Glass	BLG-80 is a Neodymium – Ytterbium doped phosphate laser glass with very broad emission spectrum usable in laser systems with pulse compression. It also offers possibilities for tuning the laser emission wavelength within the broad emission spectrum.

For detailed product information please click here and download our product flyers and datasheets

	LG-680	LG-750	LG-760	LG-770	APG-1	APG-760	BLG-80	LG-940	LG-950	LG-960
Emission Peak Wavelength (nm)	1,060	1,054	1,054	1,053	1,054	1,54	1,055	1,533	1,533	1,534.3
Emission Width (nm)	36	26	24	25	28	29.2	40.6	40	53	42.9
Radiative Lifetime τRad [μs]	361	347	323	350	361	376	327	9,400	8,600	11.0
Emission Cross Section σem [10 –20 cm²]	2.5	3.7	4.5	3.9	3.4	3.2	N/A	0.7	0.7	6.7

Refractive Index nd at Peak	1.560	1.516	1.508	1.500	1.526	1.5328	1.5491	1.522	1.515	1.544
Nonlinear Refractive Index n²	4.3	3.0	2.9	2.9	3.1	3.01	3.68	3.5	3.4	3.6
dn/dTrel. (1060 nm, 20 ° – 40 °C) [10^–6/K]	2.9	-5.1	-6.8	-4.7	1.2	1.9	-3.8	-3.6	-	-

Density ρ [g/cm³]	2.54	2.83	2.60	2.59	2.63	2.70	2.93	3.04	2.92	3.14
Thermal Conductivity λ25 °C [W/(m ・ K)]	1.19	0.49	0.57	0.57	0.78	0.76	0.53	0.51	0.63	0.65
Thermal Expansion α(+20/+300 °C) [10 –6/K]	10.18	13.01	15.04	13.36	9.96	8.9	13.1	11.96	12.90	10.0

High Energy Application		✓	✓	✓		✓	✓		✓
High Power/ Ultrashort Pulse	✓		✓		✓
Eye safe									✓
Medical/cosmetic applications							✓	✓		✓
Material processing
Rangefinders								✓		✓
LIDAR										✓
Analytics								✓

Contract Melting

SCHOTT recognizes that laser customer needs are not only limited to available glasses. For this reason, SCHOTT maintains a program of custom test melting on a contract basis. In this way, SCHOTT can provide glass samples suitable for characterization of optical, physical, and laser properties, as well as for fabrication of small optics and devices allowing to take advantage of our vast glass knowledge. If requested SCHOTT will produce your glass composition.

High-End Component Manufacture

All components are manufactured according to customers’ specifications. Depending on geometry, flatness or transmitted wavefront distortion far below λ/10 can be achieved. SCHOTT also provides anti-reflection or high-reflection coatings with a high laser-induced damage threshold.

Quality Assurance

Quality control is based on statistical process control, as well as on rigorous final inspection of the finished component
Glass properties are measured for every melt
Measurement instruments include broad range of interferometers and microscope interferometers, spectro-photometers, autocollimators, physical property test systems, vision systems, and a laser test bed

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