[18p-E207-1~11] 15.1 Bulk crystal growth

▲ [18p-E207-2] [INVITED] Development of optical materials for vacuum ultraviolet

〇Nobuhiko Sarukura¹, Toshihiko Shimizu¹ (1.Inst. Laser Eng.)

Keywords:VUV, fluorides, rare earth

We report on our work on rare earth ion-doped fluoride crystals for solid-state vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) laser applications. Fluoride crystals are being studied as excellent solid-state laser host materials because of their wide band gaps which make them transparent down to the VUV region (~ 100 nm). Moreover, these crystals have been successfully doped with rare earth ions whose interconfigurational transitions result in broad fluorescence bandwidths. We will then present our research activities which include the spectroscopic and numerical investigations of cerium (Ce³⁺)-doped LiCaAlF₆ and the synthesis and characterization of neodymium (Nd³⁺)-doped LiCaAlF₆, LuLiF₄, and LaF₃. We will also share some of our results on other perovskite fluoride crystals and the exciting outlooks of our investigations.