Abstract

Sensibilization of Tm ions by Cr ions is today the usual operating scheme of the lamp-pumped Tm laser. High concentration of Tm ions results in efficient Cr→Tm energy transfer and in cross-relaxation of absorbed energy quanta, resulting in term in double quantum efficiency of absorbed energy conversion. At the same time, high concentration of the activator and the three-level lasing lead to the high energy threshold, limiting thus the pulse repetition rate. High energy threshold, accompanied by the low intensity of the Tm ion absorption band at the wavelength of AlGaAs laser diode emission prevents also the use of Y₃Al₅O₁₂:Tm crystals in lasers with the transverse diode pumping.

© 1996 IEEE