Abstract

Many applications, including remote sensing, pollution monitoring, and laser spectroscopy, would benefit from the development of compact, rugged lasers widely tunable around 2000–5000 nm. Presently-available sources of coherent light in this region include difference-frequency mixers, parametric oscillators, Raman cells, lead-salt diode lasers, and various rare-earth lasers. Unfortunately, the nonlinear-optical schemes are complex and often give poor beam quality, and the diode lasers involve cryogenic techniques. We have demonstrated lasing in a new class of materials, Cr²⁺-doped II–VI compounds. Their tuning ranges should eventually cover at least the 2100–3000-nm region, and efficient pumping with diode lasers is anticipated.

© 1995 Optical Society of America