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Optics Express

Temperature-dependent radiative lifetime of Yb:YLF: refined cross sections and potential for laser cooling

Stefan Püschel, Sascha Kalusniak, Christian Kränkel, Hiroki Tanaka

Published Mar 18, 2021• 42 citations

Abstract

(Yb:YLF) for the application of laser cooling. Time-dependent fluorescence spectroscopy reveals a temperature dependence of the radiative lifetime which we explain by the Boltzmann distribution of excited ions in the upper Stark levels. The emission cross sections of Yb:YLF from 17 K to 440 K are revised using the temperature-dependent radiative lifetimes from fluorescence spectra. We provide fit equations for the peak values of important transitions as a function of temperature, which is also useful for the design of Yb:YLF laser oscillators and amplifiers operated at cryogenic temperatures. Based on our spectroscopic data, we show the prerequisite crystal purity to achieve laser cooling below liquid nitrogen temperatures.

DOI: 10.1364/oe.422535

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(Yb:YLF) for the application of laser cooling. Time-dependent fluorescence spectroscopy reveals a temperature dependence of the radiative lifetime which we explain by the Boltzmann distribution of excited ions in the upper Stark levels. The emission cross sections of Yb:YLF from 17 K to 440 K are revised using the temperature-dependent radiative lifetimes from fluorescence spectra. We provide fit equations for the peak values of important transitions as a function of temperature, which is also useful for the design of Yb:YLF laser oscillators and amplifiers operated at cryogenic temperatures. Based on our spectroscopic data, we show the prerequisite crystal purity to achieve laser cooling below liquid nitrogen temperatures.

The line strengths of indirect electric dipole and magnetic dipole transitions between Stark sublevels of the Yb 3+ impurity ion in a YAG crystal are calculated. The intensity’s parameters are determined, and the spectroscopic characteristics of inter-Stark transitions (probabilities of spontaneous transitions and radiative lifetimes of Stark sublevels of excited multiplet, fluorescence branching ratios, transition cross sections, and absorption coefficients) are computed. Quantitative calculations of spectroscopic parameters revealed a quite reasonable agreement with experimental data.

In this paper, quantum mechanical calculations of cooling characteristics for the Yb3+: YLF system with use of the vibronic model of laser cooling are presented. Dynamics of the laser cooling process for the seven-level system of an Yb ion is described by the density-matrix formalism. Dependences of the cooling characteristics on the pump intensity are obtained for various temperatures and absorption coefficients of impurity ions. It is shown that the pump intensity, at which the net cooling power has a maximum, depends on temperature. Thus, choosing the intensities, which correspond to the net cooling power maximum over the entire temperature range, we achieve a lower sample temperature at a shorter time than in the case of using a constant intensity throughout the cooling process. Calculations are performed for the parameters of the Yb3+:YLF system.