3.77-5.05-μm tunable solid-state lasers based on Fe/sup 2+/-doped ZnSe crystals operating at low and room temperatures

• Published in: IEEE journal of quantum electronics Vol. 42; no. 9; pp. 907 - 917
• Main Authors: Fedorov, V.V., Mirov, S.B., Gallian, A., Badikov, D.V., Frolov, M.P., Korostelin, Y.V., Kozlovsky, V.I., Landman, A.I., Podmar'kov, Y.P., Akimov, V.A., Voronov, A.A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: IEEE 01-09-2006
• Subjects: Crystals; Iron; Laser excitation; Microchip lasers; Mid-infrared (Mid-IR) lasers; Pump lasers; Solid lasers; Spectroscopy; Temperature; transition metal lasers; Tunable circuits and devices; tunable solid-state lasers; Zinc compounds; transition metal lasers; tunable solid-state lasers; Mid-infrared (Mid-IR) lasers
• ISSN: 0018-9197; 1558-1713
• DOI: 10.1109/JQE.2006.880119

Spectroscopic properties and lasing of Fe:ZnSe and co-doped Fe:Cr:ZnSe crystals in the mid-infrared spectral range were studied at room and low temperatures. Using a free-running Er:YAG laser as a pump source, the output energy of the thermoelectrically cooled Fe:ZnSe laser was 142 mJ with 30% slope efficiency at T=220 K. Passive Q-switched oscillation of Er:YAG laser with Fe:ZnSe crystal was demonstrated and used as a pump source for a Fe:ZnSe laser system. Room-temperature (RT) gain-switched lasing of Fe:ZnSe was achieved in microchip and selective cavity configurations using Q-switched Er:YAG and Raman-shifted Nd:YAG lasers as pump sources. The microchip laser threshold of 100 mJ/cm 2 was demonstrated using a Fe:ZnSe crystal without any reflection coatings. A slope efficiency of 13%, oscillation threshold of 1.3 mJ, and tunable oscillation of Fe:ZnSe laser systems over 3.95-5.05 mum spectral range were realized at RT