Structure and nonlinear optical properties of novel transparent glass-ceramics based on Co2+:ZnO nanocrystals

Abstract

Transparent glass-ceramics (GCs) based on Co2+:ZnO nanocrystals (mean diameter, 11 nm) are synthesized on the basis of cobalt-doped glasses of the K2O–ZnO–Al2O3–SiO2 system. For these GCs, the absorption band related to the 4A2(4F) → 4T1(4F) transition of Co2+ ions in tetrahedral sites spans until ~1.73 μm. Saturation of the absorption is demonstrated at 1.54 μm, with a saturation fluence Fs = 0.8 ± 0.1 Jcm−2 (σGSA = 1.7 ± 0.2 × 10−19 cm2) and a recovery time of 890 ± 10 ns. Passive Q-switching of an Er,Yb:glass laser is realized with the synthesized GCs. This laser generated 0.37 mJ/100 ns pulses at 1.54 μm. The developed GCs are promising as saturable absorbers for 1.6–1.7 μm crystalline erbium lasers.