SMEB 2271
Materials Science Laboratory I
Dr. Chiu Wee Siong
Experiment 9:
Optical Characteristic of Neodymium ion in a crystal host
Azim Danial bin Azam
SIB 170005
1. Abstract
Neodymium-doped Yttrium Aluminum garnet; Nd:Y3Al5O12 or Nd:YAG crystal was beamed with
white-light and a laser of 808nm in wavelength. The resulting beam of light was focused using 3 convex
lenses of various absorbance into a light spectrometer. The absorbance of the lenses were taken into
account and the resulting spectrum was analyzed to determine the absorption and emission spectrum of
the Nd:YAG and in turn characterize the energy level of Nd+ ions in the YAG crystal host.
2. Introduction
Nd:YAG (Neodymium doped Yttrium-Aluminum-Garnet crystal) laser is the most commonly used
type of solid-state laser at present, surpassing ruby laser. It is clear, optically isotropic and with high
optical quality. The laser incorporates a four -level system and consequently has a much lower pumping
threshold than other lasers. However, given higher pump intensity, it can be a quasi-three-level system.
Nd:YAG has good thermal conductivity and optical transparency over wide spectral region. However,
pumping energy and non-radiative processes generates heat within the gain medium (YAG crystal) and
causes shift and broadening of laser lines. The electric field caused by the 808nm pumping laser also
cause shift and broadening of laser lines and effects the absorption and transmission wavelengths of the
Nd:YAG laser.
Photoluminescence spectroscopy is a non-contact, nondestructive method of probing the electronic
structure of materials. In essence, light is directed onto a sample, where it is absorbed and where a
process called photo-excitation can occur. The photo-excitation causes the electrons (valence band) of
the material to jump to a higher electronic state (excitation band), and will then release energy,
(photons) as it relaxes and return to a lower energy level. The emission of light, or luminescence through
this process is called photoluminescence, PL.
a. Interaction between light and matter
Figure 1: Emission and absorption Figure 2: Right: Quasi-Three-Level system. Left: Four-Level
system
Optical pumping is a process in which light is radiated into a specimen and the reaction of the
specimen on the light (absorption, transmission, emission) is then examined. Using this method, the
physical phenomenon of atoms absorption and release of energy in quantized amount could be
observed. This has led to the conclusion that atom’s energy levels and states are of discrete levels.
When light is absorbed or emitted, the transfer of electron happens between two discrete energy levels,
regardless of the energy of those levels (Figure 1). A transition of electron from a lower energy level,
E1 to a higher energy level E2 can occur if an incoming photon is absorbed with energy Eph = E2 – E1.
Conversely, a photon of energy Eph = E2 – E1 is released when an electron relaxes from higher energy
level E2 to lower energy level E1.
The two processes differ in a way that absorption requires the presence of photon of energy E ph
while emission occurs spontaneously from the system without external fields. Emission activity can be
compared to that of radioactive decay of an excited nucleus. However, this is not to say that emission
cannot happen with the presence of external fields. Emission under the effect of external fields is termed
as stimulated emission.
In this study, the emission of the Nd:YAG laser will happen in the laser transition level using a
four-level system, whereby the lower laser level is well above the ground state and is quickly
depopulated non-radiatively. Nd:YAG can also operate using a quasi-three-level system, whereby the
lower laser level is so close to ground state that an appreciable population in that level occurs in thermal
equilibrium at the operating temperature. This causes some reabsorption loss at laser wavelength.
b. Stark’s effect
Figure 4: Energy levels and laser emission for Nd3+ in
Figure 3: Energy level of the free ion and splitting of the laser medium of Nd:YAG
Nd3+ ion inside the crystal field of YAG
Stark effect (also known as Stark-Lo Surdo effect) is the shifting and splitting of spectral lines due to
the presence of an external electric field. In this case, the ions of Yttrium, Aluminum and Oxygen within
the YAG crystal host generates the necessary electric field that causes Stark splitting if the Nd3+ ion band
energy. The energy field generated by the YAG crystal host splits and broadens the Nd 3+ ion band up to a
certain point.
All the levels of the Nd3+ free ions split as the result of Stark effect and thermal splitting from the
crystal field. Pumping energy and non-radiative processes causes heat generation in the gain medium (YAG
crystal). This in turn causes the shift and thermal broadening of the spectral lines. However, thermal
broadening is negligible in this case. Figure 3 shows the energy levels for Nd3+ free ion and the splitting of
Nd3+ ion in YAG crystal at 300K; with Stark splitting shown on levels participating in the laser generation.
3. Experimental methods
Apparatus
OceanOptics HR4000CG-UV-NIR spectroscope, OceanOptics SpectraSuite, Arroyo
Instruments Laser Diode Controller 6310, Arroyo Instruments High Power Laser Diode
Mount 244, USB powered LED lamp, Thorlabs Detector cards, Nd:YAG crystal, 3 convex
lenses, optical filter, safety goggles, optical rail, optical mount, retort stand.
a. Experiment A
This experiment aims to analyze the absorption spectrum of Nd:YAG crystal when hit with
whitelight source. 3 convex lenses were used to focus the whitelight into the Nd:YAG crystal
and refocus it exiting the crystal into the spectrometer. The experimental setup is shown in
Figure 5.
Figure 5: Experimental setup for Nd:YAG crystal absorption measurement (a) Input
spectrum (b) Transmission spectrum.
b. Experiment B
This experiment aims to analyze the emission spectrum of the Nd:YAG crystal. The 3
lenses configuration from Experiment A was maintained while the white light was changed for
808nm laser pumped through launching fiber from the pump laser diode. The laser intensity
was controlled using a controller attached to the pump.
The lens array was adjusted accordingly to focus the light into the crystal and refocus the
output emission out the crystal and into the spectrometer. A dichroic mirror acts as a filter,
filtering out the transmitted 808nm beam to analyze the emission.
Figure 6: Experimental setup for 808nm laser pumped Nd:YAG emission spectrum characterization
4. Result & Analysis
a. Experiment A
Graph of Intensity against Wavelength
16000
14000
input
12000 spectru
m
Intensity(W/m2)
10000
8000
transmis
sion
6000
spectru
m
4000
2000
0
250 350 450 550 650 750 850
Wavelength(nm)
Figure 7: Graph of white light source on Nd:YAG crystal
Graph of Intensity against Wavelength
0.8000
0.7000
0.6000
Intensity(W/m2)
0.5000
0.4000
0.3000
0.2000
0.1000
0.0000
180.00 280.00 380.00 480.00 580.00 680.00 780.00 880.00 980.00 1080.00
Wavelength(nm)
Figure 8: Absorption spectra of Nd:YAG when hit with white light
Figure 7 shows the input spectrum obtained by shining a white light (provided by a USB-powered
LED light) through an array of three lenses to help focus the light into the spectrometer. The transmission
spectrum was later obtained the white light through the Nd:YAG crystal using the array of lenses to help
focus the light into the crystal and refocus it from the crystal to the spectrometer.
Whitelight source was used as it emits multiple wavelength of light which includes the visible
range. When the photon from the source hits the crystal, photons with wavelength energy matching the
bandgap of the crystal are absorbed, exciting the electron while the photons with less energy are transmitted
through the material.
Using the absorption spectra as shown in figure 8, the transition energy can be determined by
calculating the energy of light absorbed at a certain wavelength. The energy of the light absorbed by the
crystal can be calculated using the formula:
ℎ𝑐
𝐸=
𝜆
Equation 1: Energy with respect to wavelength
where h is planck’s constant, c is the speed of light in meters per second and λ is wavelength in meters.
The energy of the peaks in graph of Figure 8 is calculated using Equation 1 and tabulated in
Table 1
Whitelight absorption
Wavelength (nm) Wavelength (m) Energy (Joule) Energy (eV)
587.66 0.0000005876600 3.3826E-19 2.111488069
579.07 0.0000005790700 3.43278E-19 2.142810159
568.64 0.0000005686400 3.49575E-19 2.182113602
535.71 0.0000005357100 3.71063E-19 2.316247743
530.47 0.0000005304700 3.74728E-19 2.339127714
529.68 0.0000005296800 3.75287E-19 2.342616445
514.73 0.0000005147300 3.86187E-19 2.410656225
480.71 0.0000004807100 4.13518E-19 2.581259135
458.9 0.0000004589000 4.33171E-19 2.703937848
Planck's constant 6.62607E-34
Speed of Light 300000000
Electron charge 1.602E-19
Table 1: Absorption energy of Nd:YAG in white light
b. Experiment B
18000.00
16000.00
14000.00
12000.00
10000.00
8000.00
6000.00
4000.00
2000.00
0.00
580.00 680.00 780.00 880.00 980.00 1080.00
Figure 9: Emission graph of Nd:YAG when shot with 808nm monochromatic laser
Energy Transitions
No. Wavelength (nm) Intensity Wavelength (cm) Wavenumber (cm-1) Est. Transition Band
1 1073.50 1726.21 0.0001073500 9315 R2-Y3
2 1063.18 2450.92 0.0001063180 9406 R1-Y3
3 1051.87 1868.54 0.0001051870 9507 R1-Y1
4 945.85 4523.49 0.0000945850 10573 R2-Z5
5 938.30 3961.44 0.0000938300 10658 R1-Z5
6 899.85 5697.64 0.0000899850 11113 R2-Z4
7 890.86 6164.15 0.0000890860 11225 R2-Z3
8 884.86 7211.60 0.0000884860 11301 R1-Z3
9 868.96 3577.09 0.0000868960 11508 R1-Z1
Table 2: Wavelengths of peaks of Nd:YAG emission graph, its wavenumber and estimated transition band
Figure 9 shows the emission spectrum of Nd:YAG crystal when pumped with laser of 808nm
wavelength using a high power laser diode. The output power of the diode is controlled using a laser
diode controller. This is to prevent the laser’s intensity saturation from damaging the delicate
spectrometer.
Wavenumber of the peaks in Figure 9 was analyzed and calculated to find the possible energy
transitions. All results are tabulated in Table 2 and the estimated band transition was based off Figure 3.
The trivalent Neodymium ion in Nd:YAG crystal energy level is much different compared to Nd atoms.
This is caused by the Stark effect that happened in the high-crystalline lattice structure of the YAG crystal
host.
The discrete energy level of Nd3+ ion has been widened into multiple energy sub-level for each
said discrete levels. With this, the number of possible energy transitions for excitation of electrons in
Nd:YAG have increased. This is also the case for the spontaneous emission by the relaxation of electrons.
The range of frequency of emissions are also broaden.
The absorption wavelength of Experiment A and Experiment B differs as the pump wavelength
are different. In Experiment A, a whitelight source was used. A whitelight source have a very broad
wavelength, covering the visible light wavelength. However, in Experiment B, an IR laser of specific
wavelength of 808nm was used. The laser excites the electron at a specific energy level and the electrons
spontaneously emit at specific energy transitions.
Through study of various article, journals and encyclopedias, it is found that Nd:YAG has a
dominant emission frequency of 1064nm. However, during the experiment, the 808nm transmitted laser
light was used as a reference for focusing any beams into the detector. Chromatic aberration may have
occurred as a result. While the focused light was 808nm, the aimed 1064nm light might not be as focused
going into the detector.
5. Precautions
The intensity of light pumped through the lens-crystal array into the detector must be regulated in
both experiments to prevent damage to the detector. High light intensity during Experiment A can
cause saturated intensity and cause erroneous reading and high intensity during Experiment B may
even cause damage to the spectrometer.
The Nd:YAG crystal, the focusing lenses array and fiber end of the detector must also be handled
with care as any fingerprints on both the optically sensitive materials may effect light transparency in
the system and effect the final reading. Protect the fiber end from dust and dirt.
Ensure that all lenses, the crystal, laser and detector are on the same height on the rail. Difference
in height of any of the said elements, however slight, may cause light beam to misalign and fail to
achieve optimal focus.
Take into consideration the effect of chromatic aberration. The visibly focused light wavelength
(i.e. 808nm) might not focus the aimed wavelength into the detector, causing lower than expected
intensity.
For Experiment A, confirm whitelight covers the all the expected wavelength of visible light
possible for absorption, allowing for better reference for specific wavelength pump operation.
6. Conclusion
The Neodymium-doped Yttrium Aluminum garnet; Nd:Y3Al5O12 or Nd:YAG crystal emission
operates using four-level, quasi-three-level and three-level laser transition systems.
According to Table 2:-
- No.1-3: Four-level system
- No. 4-8: Quasi-three-level system
- No. 9: Three-level system
According to multiple references, the dominant system is the four-level system, producing the
dominant peak at 1064nm. However, due to chromatic aberration caused by the multiple convex lens
array, added with the fact that the visible transmitted light of 808nm was focused at the detector causes
the theoretical 1064nm wavelength to be dampened.
The absorption characteristics of Nd:YAG for 808nm (pumped wavelength) was unknown as the
whitelight source in Experiment A did not cover up to the required 808nm wavelength. This leaves the
experiment with no baseline for Nd:YAG absorption within the range of 700nm-800nm, which is required
in order to accurately identify the crystal absorption characteristic when pumped with the 808nm laser as
in Experiment 2.
It is also found that Nd:YAG may also operate in three-level system, where the laser transition drops
the electron all the way to ground level, as shown in Table 2, No. 9. This goes against the references used
in this experiment as the references stated that 946nm wavelength, a quasi-three-level system is the
smallest emitted wavelength of Nd:YAG. Results shows emission lower than 946nm, even emitting at
869nm, demonstrating a complete relaxation of electron. This may be obtained due to the fact that
Experiment B was focusing the 808nm light into the detector and, combined with possible chromatic
aberration effect, causes a dominant peak at approximately 891nm.
7. References
1. Pourmand, S., & Rezaei, G. (2016). Shift and broadening of emission lines in Nd:YAG laser crystal
influenced by input energy. Pramana: Journal of Physics, 86(6), 1307-1312. Retrieved from
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=117352351&site=ehost-live.
doi:10.1007/s12043-016-1194-x
2. Semwal, K., & C. Bhatt, S. (2013). Study of Nd3+ ion as a Dopant in YAG and Glass Laser. International
Journal of Physics, 1(1), 15-21. Retrieved from http://pubs.sciepub.com/.
3. RP Photonics Encyclopedia – neodymium-doped gain media, laser crystals, Nd:YAG, ND:YVO4, ND:YLF,
Nd:glass.
https://www.rp-photonics.com/neodymium_doped_gain_media.html
4. RP Photonics Encyclopedia – four-level and three-level gain media, reabsorption, crystals, glass, quasi-
three-level, solid-state lasers, Yb:YAG.
https://www.rp-photonics.com/four_level_and_three_level_gain_media.html
5. RP Photonics Encyclopedia – YAG lasers, Nd:YAG laser, Yb:YAG, yttrium aluminum garnet
https://www.rp-photonics.com/yag_lasers.html
