Abstract

Chromium-doped forsterite (Cr:Mg₂SiO₄) is an important tunable solid state laser which fills the void in the spectral region between 1100 - 1350 nm. Pulsed^1-4 and continuous-wave⁵ laser action was obtained and tunability over the 1167 - 1345 nm was demonstrated.⁶ Recently, even broader tuning range covering the 1130 - 1367 nm range was reported.⁷ The unique property of chromium-doped forsterite is that the lasing center was identified as tetravalent chromium (Ci⁴⁺) substituting for tetrahedrally coordinated Si⁴⁺.^8,9

© 1991 Optical Society of America