Active Laser Glasses

Laser Glass 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

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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
Supply forms of active laser glasses
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
Length: between 10 mm and 570 mm

Slab/bar
dimensions		 Maximum size: approx. 500 mm x 350 mm x 30 mm
Minimum size: approx. 1 mm x 1 mm x 5 mm

Surface
quality		 Roughness rms: > 1nm
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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SCHOTT North America, Inc.
400 York Avenue
Duryea, PA 18642
USA
E-Mail to SCHOTT570-457-7485
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