Abstract

Cr-doped LISAF and LIC AF are promising new laser crystals, combining attractive laser properties such as long upper laser level lifetimes, broad emission spectra, and low thermal lensing. With the incorporation of powerful flash-lamp pumping, these materials can be configured into tunable high energy laser systems, if large crystals can be fabricated. Clear aperture crystals of only several millimeters have been reported until recently. We have now grown and made to lase 1-in. aperture crystals of more than 10 cm length. Single shot output energies of >30 J are reported. The dependence of output energy on pump energy will be presented.

© 1992 Optical Society of America