Controlling Laser Parameters by Electrical Polarization of Solid State Gain Media

TL;DR

This paper explores how applying an external electrical field to solid-state laser gain media, specifically Ti:Sapphire, can significantly alter their optical properties, offering new control methods for laser performance.

Contribution

It demonstrates that electrical polarization can induce displacements in the crystal lattice comparable to high mechanical pressure, affecting laser parameters and enabling new control techniques.

Findings

Electrical fields cause significant changes in laser crystal properties.

Displacements in metal-ligand distances are comparable to high-pressure effects.

Electrical control can modify excitation and emission characteristics.

Abstract

The electrical polarization of the laser crystal by external electrical field can change significantly the output laser parameters such as wavelength of excitation and generation, spectral bandwidth, excitation and emission cross-sections, efficiency and so on. That can give new possibilities for wide control of these parameters, increase their range for existing lasers and create a new line of the laser devices. In this paper the direct impact of external electrical fields on the laser solid state gain media was estimated using as an example Ti:Sapphire crystal. It was demonstrated that metal-ligands distances displacement in this crystal under external electrical field of 20kV/cm can be comparable to that caused by mechanical pressure of 150 kbar, which was previously measured in experiments. The consequences of these displacements on the excitation and luminescence properties of the crystal are also discussed.