Abstract

Among the promising fluoride crystals, the LaF3:Nd³⁺ (LaF:Nd) one seems to be now the most suitable for VUV applications. Because the depression of the Nd³⁺ 4f²5d-levels in LaF₃ due to the crystal field is the lowest among the known fluorides and the onset of the 4f²5d-configuration levels is observed as high as 6*10⁴ cm^–1,[1] the LaF:Nd laser should have one of the shortest wavelength from all possible Nd⁺³-activated VUV lasers provided that the appropriate pumping source is available. First VUV laser action in LaF:Nd was obtained recently.^[2] However, the method of excitation of the active medium used in ^[2] was too complicated to be widely used even in the laboratory scale. Recently we reported on the first VUV laser action from LaF:Nd crystal pumped by pulsed molecular F₂-laser.^[3]

© 1992 IQEC