Abstract

In recent years transition metal ion based solid state lasers have been the focus of tunable laser research and development. For example, the Cr³⁺ ions have been lased over a tuning range of 740-1010 nm in a number of host crystals such as BeAl₂O₄ (alexandrite), LiCaAlF₆, (LiCAF), LiSrAlF₆, (LiSAF), and LiSrCaAlF₆ (LiSCAF). In particular, LiCAF, LiSAF, and LiSCAF are recently discovered materials that show promising properties as laser host crystals for the Cr³⁺ ion,^[1,2] and are intensively studied currently at a number of laboratories. We are investigating both the spectroscopic properties and laser performance of these crystals grown at the Center for Research in Electro-Optics and Lasers (CREOL). The purpose of this paper is to report the laser performance of the crystals pumped by a pulsed dye laser used as a diode laser simulator and to present preliminary results of an investigation of excited-state absorption (ESA) in LiSAF crystals.

© 1992 IQEC