DEVELOPMENT OF NEW LANTHANIDE-DOPED CRYSTALLINE MATERIALS FOR SOLID-STATE LASERS
This doctoral thesis investigates the development of new lanthanide-doped crystalline materials for solid-state laser applications, focusing on rare-earth-doped monotungstates, monomolybdates, and double molybdates. Advanced crystal growth methods, such as Czochralski, Top-Seeded Solution Growth (TSSG), and Liquid Phase Epitaxy (LPE), were employed to synthesize and process high-quality bulk crystals and epitaxial layers. In the monotungstate family, fast growth of bulk MgWO4 crystals was achieved using a newly selected solvent with higher solubility and lower viscosity than those found in the literature, significantly reducing growth times. The optical axes of MgWO4 were also precisely identified, correcting misassignments in the literature and enabling accurate polarization-resolved spectroscopy. Furthermore, the first laser-grade epitaxial layers of Tm3+ – and Yb3+ -doped MgWO4 were grown and characterized, paving the way for integrated waveguide and thin-disk laser architectures. Laser operation was demonstrated in Tm,Li:ZnWO4 and Yb,Li:ZnWO4 crystals with efficient performance in the 2 µm and 1 µm regions, respectively. In the monomolybdate MgMoO4, this thesis reports the first successful growth and spectroscopic characterization of crystals doped with Tm3+ and Yb3+, establishing a foundation for future laser development. In the double molybdate family, efficient and tunable laser emission was achieved in Tm,Ho:NaGd(MoO4)2, and laser operation was demonstrated for the first time in Yb:CsGd(MoO4)2.This work contributes significantly to the field by correcting key literature errors, developing new host crystals, and reporting first-time laser demonstrations in several materials. It also highlights the critical role of dopant incorporation and charge compensation using monovalent ions (e.g., Li+, Na+) in optimizing spectroscopic quality. These advances expand the range of viable host materials for solid-state lasers and support the development of compact, polarized, and wavelength-tunable infrared laser sources.
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