Radiation tests on erbium-doped garnet crystals for spaceborne CH4-Lidar applications

A test campaign for assessing the radiation hardness of different Erbium-doped garnet crystals including Er:YAG and a compositionally tuned Er:YAG/Er:LuAG mixed garnet is reported. Tests with proton and gamma radiation have been performed with parameters mimicking a 3-year low-earth-orbit satellite mission like MERLIN or ADM-Aeolus. For each test sample broadband transmission spectra in the wavelength range of 500 nm -1700 nm and characteristic laser curves from a test laser oscillator have been measured. Radiation-induced losses have been calculated from the obtained data. The results indicate that gamma radiation is the dominant loss source with about 0.5 %/cm radiation-induced losses for the nominal dose of the chosen mission scenario.