Abstract

To manufacture composite crystals for laser applications, different methods were employed, such as diffusion bonding [1] and liquid phase epitaxy (LPE) [2], Composite laser structures based on the strongly anisotropic double tungstates KY(WO₄)₂ (KYW), KGd(WO₄)₂ (KGdW) or KLu(WO₄)₂ (KLuW) were prepared so far only by LPE [2], Segmented crystal growth is an alternative method developed at FEE GmbH to obtain composite single crystals. In segmented growth, two or more segments of bulk single crystalline material are grown on top of each other. In the simplest case of two segments, the resulting crystal can be used for the fabrication of composite optical elements with two layers of different concentrations of dopants if these elements are drilled across the interface between the segments. Segmented growth can provide composites with segment lengths of at least 3 to 10 mm.

© 2007 IEEE