Abstract

We demonstrate a fourfold increase of the output energy of the gain-switched mid-IR Fe:ZnSe laser. Iron doping of the ZnSe polycrystalline samples was realized using a postgrowth thermal-diffusion method from the metal film. Gain-switched Er:Cr:YSGG ($2.8\mathrm{\mu m}$) laser pumped Fe:ZnSe lasing was studied in a Fabry–Perot cavity over a $236–300\mathrm{K}$ temperature range. The maximum output energy reached $4.7\mathrm{mJ}$ at $4.3\mathrm{\mu m}$ and $3.6\mathrm{mJ}$ at $4.37\mathrm{\mu m}$ at $236\mathrm{K}$ and $300\mathrm{K}$ and was limited only by available pump energy. The laser threshold was about $8\mathrm{mJ}$ and was practically unchanged over the studied temperature range. The laser slope efficiencies, measured with respect to the input pump energy, decreased from 19% to 16% with an increase of temperature from 236 to $300\mathrm{K}$. The output radiation featured a Gaussian spatial profile with $M^2=2.6$.

© 2011 Optical Society of America

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