Cr2+-doped zinc chalcogenides as efficient, widely tunable mid-infrared lasers

被引:285
作者
Page, RH [1 ]
Schaffers, KI [1 ]
DeLoach, LD [1 ]
Wilke, GD [1 ]
Patel, FD [1 ]
Tassano, JB [1 ]
Payne, SA [1 ]
Krupke, WF [1 ]
Chen, KT [1 ]
Burger, A [1 ]
机构
[1] FISK UNIV,DEPT PHYS,CTR PHOTON MAT & DEVICES,NASHVILLE,TN 37208
关键词
chromium materials/devices; laser tuning; lasers; optical amplifiers; optical materials; solid lasers; zinc materials/devices;
D O I
10.1109/3.563390
中图分类号
TM [电工技术]; TN [电子技术、通信技术];
学科分类号
0808 ; 0809 ;
摘要
Transition-metal-doped zinc chalcogenide crystals have recently been investigated as potential mid-infrared lasers. Tetrahedrally coordinated Cr2+ ions are especially attractive as lasants on account of high luminescence quantum yields for emission in the 2000-3000-nm range. Radiative lifetimes and emission cross sections of the upper (5)E state are respectively similar to 10 mu s and similar to 10(-18) cm(2). The associated absorption band peaked at similar to 1800 nm enables laser-diode pumping of the Cr2+ systems. Laser demonstrations with ZnS:Cr and ZnSe:Cr (using a MgF2:Co2+ laser pump source) gave slope efficiencies up to 30%. Excited-state-absorption losses appear small, and passive losses dominate at present, Tuning experiments with a diffraction grating produce a tuning range covering at least 2150-2800 nm. Laser crystals can be produced by Bridgman growth, seeded physical vapor transport, or diffusion doping, Zinc chalcogenide thermomechanical properties of interest for medium-to-high-power operation compare favorably with those of other host materials, except for the larger refractive-index derivative dn/dT.
引用
收藏
页码:609 / 619
页数:11
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