Abstract

The Cr⁴⁺:YAG laser, first reported in [1], is a unique laser source, tunable over an attractive for many applications wavelength range of 1.34-1.6 µm [2]. The diode-pumping of Cr⁴⁺-doped materials, however, remains a challenging task due to difficulties in growing of the crystals with high Cr⁴⁺concentration. The recently reported diode-pumped operation of Cr⁴⁺:forsterite and Cr⁴⁺:Ca₂GeO₄ required the ideal beam of the MOPA source [3] and no results on direct diode-pumping of any Cr⁴⁺-doped material with conventional diode arrays are known to us at the moment.

© 1998 IEEE