Abstract

This paper describes recent research into the properties of Cr:Nd:GSGG, a material which has recently become the subject of intense interest because it offers a significant efficiency increase relative to Nd:YAG in advanced laser designs. Since the first experimental verification¹ of the potential benefits of this new material, many independent measurements have been reported regarding lasing performance of individual rods in various pump-cavity configurations. However, for this or related materials to be fully understood and exploited, a more detailed systematic study is required. We have used small-signal gain measurements to determine the dependence of Cr:Nd:GSGG pumping efficiency on Cr concentration. We have also taken the opportunity to elucidate practical details, such as the saturation of energy storage due to amplified spontaneous emission or parasitic oscillations. We find that the pumping efficiency improvement is not a strong function of the chromium concentration for the range studied (from 1–2 × 10²⁰/cm³) and that twice as much energy may be stored as for a Nd:YAS rod of the same size in the same pump cavity.

© 1986 Optical Society of America