Ti:Sapphire Laser Crystals
Ti:Sapphire Laser Crystal for Ultrafast and Tunable Lasers
Ti:Sapphire laser crystal, also written as Ti:Sa or titanium-doped sapphire, is a broadly tunable solid-state laser gain medium used for femtosecond lasers, ultrafast oscillators, regenerative amplifiers, tunable CW lasers, spectroscopy systems, and research laser platforms.
Ti:Sapphire combines the mechanical and thermal stability of sapphire with a broad vibronic emission band. It is commonly pumped in the blue-green spectral region and can support wide tunability around the red and near-infrared range. For ultrafast systems, crystal quality, figure of merit, absorption coefficient, orientation, end geometry, coating, and thermal handling are critical to stable output.
ATR Crystal supplies Ti:Sapphire crystals with custom Ti2O3 concentration, FOM, dimensions, flat-flat or Brewster-Brewster end configurations, polishing, coating, clear aperture, and inspection requirements. For related laser materials, review our laser crystal category, Yb:YAG crystal, Nd:YVO4 crystal, Nd:YAG crystal, and Cr:YAG passive Q-switch crystal.
Applications of Ti:Sapphire Laser Crystal
Femtosecond and ultrafast laser oscillators
Ti:Sapphire regenerative amplifiers and CPA systems
Broadly tunable CW and pulsed laser systems
Ultrafast spectroscopy, pump-probe, and nonlinear optics research
OPO pumping and wavelength-extension laser platforms
Laboratory laser cavities, prototypes, and OEM optical modules
Advantages of Ti:Sapphire Laser Crystal
- Broad tunabilityTi:Sapphire supports wide laser tuning in the red and near-infrared region, making it one of the most important gain media for tunable lasers.
- Ultrafast pulse supportThe broad emission bandwidth enables femtosecond pulse generation and amplification in properly designed laser cavities.
- Sapphire host stabilityThe sapphire host provides high hardness, high melting point, good thermal behavior, and strong mechanical stability.
- Blue-green pump compatibilityTi:Sapphire is commonly pumped in the 400-600 nm absorption band, with strong absorption near the blue-green region.
- FOM selectionFigure of merit can be specified according to absorption, loss, fluorescence, and system performance requirements.
- Custom end geometryFlat-flat and Brewster-Brewster end configurations, custom coatings, and drawing-defined geometry can be reviewed for oscillator and amplifier designs.
Specifications of Ti:Sapphire Laser Crystal
The following values summarize typical Ti:Sapphire laser crystal specifications. Final values should be confirmed according to FOM, absorption coefficient, end configuration, coating, and inspection criteria.
| Parameter | Typical Value / Option |
|---|---|
| Material | Ti:Sapphire / Ti3+:Al2O3 |
| Orientation | Optical axis C normal to the rod axis, or custom orientation according to cavity design |
| Ti2O3 concentration | 0.03-0.25 wt%; final concentration to be confirmed by absorption and FOM requirement |
| Figure of merit, FOM | 100-250, or higher values upon customer request and material availability |
| End configuration | Flat / flat or Brewster / Brewster ends |
| Flatness | lambda/8 to lambda/10 at 633 nm |
| Parallelism | <= 10 arcsec |
| Surface finishing | 10/5 scratch-dig, MIL-O-13830A |
| Clear aperture | >90% |
| Chamfer | <0.1 mm at 45 degrees |
| Size | Custom size upon customer request |
| Coating | AR or HR coating upon customer request |
| Damage threshold | About 750 MW/cm2 at 1064 nm, TEM00, 10 ns, 10 Hz; confirm test basis for final acceptance |
| Quality warranty period | One year under proper use, subject to final sales terms |
Optical and Spectral Properties of Ti:Sapphire
Typical optical and spectral values for Ti:Sapphire. Final laser performance depends on pump source, FOM, crystal length, coating, cooling, cavity design, and test method.
| Property | Typical Value |
|---|---|
| Absorption range | 400-600 nm |
| Tuning range | 660-1050 nm, with broader ranges possible in specific laser designs |
| Emission peak | Approx. 795 nm |
| Absorption peak | Approx. 488 nm |
| Absorption cross section at peak wavelength | Approx. 38 x 10^-20 cm2 |
| Emission cross section at 532 nm | Approx. 4.9 x 10^-20 cm2 |
| Emission cross section at 490 nm | Approx. 6.4 x 10^-20 cm2 |
| Emission cross section at 790 nm | Approx. 41 x 10^-20 cm2 |
| dn/dT | Approx. 13 x 10^-6 K^-1 |
| Thermal conductivity | Typical supplier values around 33 W/(m K); some data sources report higher values depending on measurement condition |
| Laser action | 4-level vibronic |
| Fluorescence lifetime | Approx. 3.2 us at 300 K |
| Refractive index | Approx. 1.76 at 800 nm |
Physical Properties of Ti:Sapphire Crystal
Typical physical properties for Ti:Sapphire material review.
| Property | Typical Value |
|---|---|
| Chemical formula | Ti3+:Al2O3 |
| Crystal structure | Hexagonal, a = 4.758 A, c = 12.991 A |
| Density | Approx. 3.98 g/cm3 |
| Melting point | Approx. 2040 C |
| Mohs hardness | 9 |
Ti:Sapphire vs. Related Laser Crystals
Ti:Sapphire is selected when broad tunability, femtosecond pulse generation, and red to near-infrared operation are required. Other laser crystals may be more suitable for fixed-wavelength industrial lasers, high-power diode-pumped systems, compact DPSS modules, or passive Q-switching.
| Crystal | Role | Key Wavelength / Range | Best Fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ti:Sapphire | Tunable gain medium | About 660-1050 nm tuning range | Femtosecond, ultrafast, tunable, spectroscopy, and research laser systems |
| Yb:YAG | Gain medium | 1030 nm class | High-power diode-pumped, thin-disk, and ultrafast laser systems |
| Nd:YAG | Gain medium | 1064 nm class | Mature CW, pulsed, Q-switched, industrial, medical, and research lasers |
| Nd:YVO4 | Gain medium | 1064 / 1342 / 914 nm class | Compact diode-pumped lasers and 532 nm green DPSS systems |
| Cr:YAG | Passive Q-switch | About 950-1100 nm absorption range | Passive Q-switched Nd and Yb laser cavities |
| Er:YAG | Gain medium | 2940 nm | Medical, dental, aesthetic, and water-absorption laser systems |
Design Notes for Ti:Sapphire Laser Systems
Ti:Sapphire laser design should consider pump wavelength, absorption coefficient, crystal length, FOM, cooling method, cavity dispersion, mode size, coating bandwidth, and whether the system is an oscillator, amplifier, or tunable CW source. For femtosecond systems, dispersion management, mirror coating bandwidth, surface quality, and thermal handling are especially important.
Flat-flat ends may be selected for coated cavity designs, while Brewster-Brewster ends are often considered when polarization and reflection loss management are important. The proper crystal size, Ti concentration, and FOM should be chosen according to pump power, beam diameter, required gain, and allowable loss.
How to Request a Ti:Sapphire Crystal Quotation
Providing the following information helps ATR Crystal review the design and quote more accurately.
| RFQ Item | Information to Provide |
|---|---|
| Laser application | Oscillator, amplifier, tunable CW laser, spectroscopy source, OPO pump, or custom research system. |
| Material requirement | Ti2O3 concentration, target FOM, absorption coefficient, and acceptable loss level. |
| Geometry | Diameter or rectangular size, length, clear aperture, end configuration, Brewster angle if required, and drawing. |
| Optical specification | Flatness, parallelism, scratch-dig, wavefront distortion, coating bandwidth, and damage threshold requirement. |
| Laser design | Pump wavelength, pump power, output wavelength range, pulse duration, cavity type, cooling method, and beam size. |
| Order information | Prototype quantity, batch quantity, inspection criteria, packaging requirement, and delivery schedule. |
