Title :
3.77-5.05-μm tunable solid-state lasers based on Fe/sup 2+/-doped ZnSe crystals operating at low and room temperatures
Author :
Fedorov, Vladimir V. ; Mirov, Sergey B. ; Gallian, Andrew ; Badikov, Dmitri V. ; Frolov, Mikhail P. ; Korostelin, Yuri V. ; Kozlovsky, Vladimir I. ; Landman, Alexander I. ; Podmar´kov, Y.P. ; Akimov, Vadim A. ; Voronov, Artem A.
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Phys., Alabama Univ., Birmingham, AL
Abstract :
Spectroscopic properties and lasing of Fe:ZnSe and co-doped Fe:Cr:ZnSe crystals in the mid-infrared spectral range were studied at room and low temperatures. Using a free-running Er:YAG laser as a pump source, the output energy of the thermoelectrically cooled Fe:ZnSe laser was 142 mJ with 30% slope efficiency at T=220 K. Passive Q-switched oscillation of Er:YAG laser with Fe:ZnSe crystal was demonstrated and used as a pump source for a Fe:ZnSe laser system. Room-temperature (RT) gain-switched lasing of Fe:ZnSe was achieved in microchip and selective cavity configurations using Q-switched Er:YAG and Raman-shifted Nd:YAG lasers as pump sources. The microchip laser threshold of 100 mJ/cm2 was demonstrated using a Fe:ZnSe crystal without any reflection coatings. A slope efficiency of 13%, oscillation threshold of 1.3 mJ, and tunable oscillation of Fe:ZnSe laser systems over 3.95-5.05 mum spectral range were realized at RT
Keywords :
II-VI semiconductors; Q-switching; chromium; infrared sources; iron; laser tuning; microchip lasers; optical materials; optical pumping; semiconductor lasers; zinc compounds; 1.3 mJ; 13 percent; 142 mJ; 220 K; 3.77 to 5.05 mum; 30 percent; Fe-doped ZnSe crystals; gain-switched lasing; laser tuning; microchip laser; passive Q-switching; slope efficiency; solid-state lasers; Crystals; Iron; Laser excitation; Microchip lasers; Pump lasers; Solid lasers; Spectroscopy; Temperature; Tunable circuits and devices; Zinc compounds; Mid-infrared (Mid-IR) lasers; transition metal lasers; tunable solid-state lasers;
Journal_Title :
Quantum Electronics, IEEE Journal of
DOI :
10.1109/JQE.2006.880119
