Laser performance of Cr2+-doped ZnS

Keith Graham; Sergey B. Mirov; Vladimir V. Fedorov; Mary Ellen Zvanut; Andranik G. Avanesov; Valery V. Badikov; Boris Ignat'ev; Vladimir Panutin; Galina S. Shevyrdayeva

doi:10.1117/12.424597

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16 April 2001 Laser performance of Cr2^+-doped ZnS

Keith Graham, Sergey B. Mirov, Vladimir V. Fedorov, Mary Ellen Zvanut, Andranik G. Avanesov, Valery V. Badikov, Boris Ignat'ev, Vladimir Panutin, Galina S. Shevyrdayeva

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Proceedings Volume 4267, Solid State Lasers X; (2001) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.424597
Event: Photonics West 2001 - LASE, 2001, San Jose, CA, United States

Abstract

Laser properties and spectroscopic characterization of diffusion doped Cr2+: ZnS crystals synthesized by chemical transport reaction from gas phase are reported. Lasing was realized with a threshold of 170 ?J and slope efficiency of 9.5 % with respect to the 1.5607 ?m pump energy, in a hemispherical cavity. Low doped samples (3-4 cm-1 at 1.7 ?m) of 1.7 mm thickness were utilized. The 1.5607 ?m excitation was realized with a D2 Raman cell pumped in a backscattering geometry by the 1.064 ?m radiation of the single frequency Nd:YAG laser. Maximum output energy reached 100 ?J. Lasing in the hemispherical cavity was achieved with output couplers R2.36?m=80 % and 90 % and radius of curvature 20 cm. Absorption cross section was estimated from spectroscopic measurements and was in a good agreement with saturation data (?abs.= 0.80x10-18 cm2) calculated with the modified Frantz-Nodvik equation for a four level slow absorber. Findlay Clay losses were found to be about 14%. Selective cavity experiments were performed in a hemispherical cavity with a CaF2 prism as the dispersive element. A tuning range of 2.05-2.40 ?m was realized, limited by the spectral range of the output coupler of the selective laser cavity.

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Keith Graham, Sergey B. Mirov, Vladimir V. Fedorov, Mary Ellen Zvanut, Andranik G. Avanesov, Valery V. Badikov, Boris Ignat'ev, Vladimir Panutin, and Galina S. Shevyrdayeva "Laser performance of Cr2^+-doped ZnS", Proc. SPIE 4267, Solid State Lasers X, (16 April 2001); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.424597

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