Room-temperature lasing, gain-switched bulk, tunable Fe:ZnSe laser

Helena Jelínková; Petr Koranda; Maxim E. Doroshenko; Jan Šulc; Michal Jelínek; Miroslav Cech; Tasoltan T. Basiev; Valerii V. Badikov; Dmitri V. Badikov

doi:10.1117/12.854304

19 May 2010 Room-temperature lasing, gain-switched bulk, tunable Fe:ZnSe laser

Helena Jelínková, Petr Koranda, Maxim E. Doroshenko, Jan Šulc, Michal Jelínek, Miroslav Cech, Tasoltan T. Basiev, Valerii V. Badikov, Dmitri V. Badikov

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 7721, Solid State Lasers and Amplifiers IV, and High-Power Lasers; 772111 (2010) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.854304
Event: SPIE Photonics Europe, 2010, Brussels, Belgium

Abstract

The goal of this work was to design and investigate a gain switched, at room temperature lasing Fe:ZnSe laser. The active medium was a bulk, by Bridgman-technique grown Fe:ZnSe sample with the thickness 3.4 mm. The pumping was provided by electro-optically Q-switched Er:YAG laser with the oscillation wavelength 2.937 μm matching the local maximum of the Fe:ZnSe absorption. The Er:YAG Q-switched operation was obtained by the Brewster angle cut LiNbO₃ Pockels cell placed between the rear mirror and the laser active medium. No additional intracavity polarizers were used. The maximum pumping pulse energy and length was 15 mJ, and ~300 ns, respectively. This pulse-length is close to room-temperature measured lifetime of Fe²⁺ ions in Fe:ZnSe crystal. The pump radiation was directed into the Fe:ZnSe crystal which was placed inside the cavity formed by dichroic pumping mirror (T_HR=92% at 2.94 μm and R_HR~100% for 3.5-5.2 μm) and optimal output coupler with the reflectance R_OC=90% at 4.5 μm, radius of curvature r = -200 mm. The maximum obtained output Fe:ZnSe laser energy was 1.2 mJ, the generated output pulse duration on the wavelength 4.5 μm was 65 ns (FWHM). The output pulse profile was approximately Gaussian. The crystal showed rather high uniformity of oscillation properties throughout its volume. For the case of tuning the CaF₂ prism was implemented into the resonator. The tuning curve of generated Fe:ZnSe laser radiation covered the spectral range 3.9 - 4.7 μm.

Citation Download Citation

Helena Jelínková, Petr Koranda, Maxim E. Doroshenko, Jan Šulc, Michal Jelínek, Miroslav Cech, Tasoltan T. Basiev, Valerii V. Badikov, and Dmitri V. Badikov "Room-temperature lasing, gain-switched bulk, tunable Fe:ZnSe laser", Proc. SPIE 7721, Solid State Lasers and Amplifiers IV, and High-Power Lasers, 772111 (19 May 2010); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.854304

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available