Abstract

Inorganic liquids such as phosphorous oxytrichloride and selenium oxychloride were very heavily researched as laser hosts many years ago. The only laser ion used was Nd³⁺, and as more convenient solid hosts such as glasses and YAG became available work on the liquids ceased. In this early work the lasers were large flashlamp pumped systems, and in this application there are further disadvantages arising from thermal expansion and high stimulated Raman cross sections, aside from the corrosion and toxicity problems in circulating systems sometimes containing litres of material.

© 1994 IEEE