Influence of Gamma-Ray Irradiation on Absorption and Fluorescent Spectra of Nd:YAG and Yb:YAG Laser Crystals

We investigate the influence of gamma-ray irradiation on the absorption and fluorescent spectra of Nd3+:Y3A15O12 (Nd:YAG) and Yb3+:Y3A15O12 (Yb:YAG) crystals grown by the Czochralski method. Two additional absorption (AA) bands induced by gamma-ray irradiation appear at 255nm and 340 nm. The former is contributed due to Fe3+ impurity, the latter is due to Fe2+ ions and F-type colour centres. The intensity of the excitation and emission spectra as well as the fluorescent lifetime of Nd:YAG crystal decrease after the irradiation of 100Mrad gamma-ray In contrast, the same dose irradiation does not impair the fluorescent properties of Yb:YAG crystal. These results indicate that Yb:YAG crystal possesses the advantage over Nd:YAG crystal that has better reliability for applications in harsh radiant environment.