Transition-metal doped sulfide, selenide, and telluride laser crystal and lasers

Patent · Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1996

OSTI ID:870540

Krupke, William F ^[1]; Page, Ralph H ^[2]; DeLoach, Laura D ^[3]; Payne, Stephen A ^[4]

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1. Pleasanton, CA
2. San Ramon, CA
3. Manteca, CA
4. Castro Valley, CA

A new class of solid state laser crystals and lasers are formed of transition metal doped sulfide, selenide, and telluride host crystals which have four fold coordinated substitutional sites. The host crystals include II-VI compounds. The host crystal is doped with a transition metal laser ion, e.g., chromium, cobalt or iron. In particular, Cr.sup.2+ -doped ZnS and ZnSe generate laser action near 2.3 .mu.m. Oxide, chloride, fluoride, bromide and iodide crystals with similar structures can also be used. Important aspects of these laser materials are the tetrahedral site symmetry of the host crystal, low excited state absorption losses and high luminescence efficiency, and the d.sup.4 and d.sup.6 electronic configurations of the transition metal ions. The same materials are also useful as saturable absorbers for passive Q-switching applications. The laser materials can be used as gain media in amplifiers and oscillators; these gain media can be incorporated into waveguides and semiconductor lasers.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• Assignee: Regents of University of California (Oakland, CA)
• Patent Number(s): US 5541948
• OSTI ID: 870540
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

transition-metal
doped
sulfide
selenide
telluride
laser
crystal
lasers
solid
crystals
formed
transition
metal
host
fold
coordinated
substitutional
sites
ii-vi
compounds
chromium
cobalt
iron
particular
-doped
zns
znse
generate
action
near
oxide
chloride
fluoride
bromide
iodide
similar
structures
aspects
materials
tetrahedral
site
symmetry
excited
absorption
losses
luminescence
efficiency
electronic
configurations
useful
saturable
absorbers
passive
q-switching
applications
media
amplifiers
oscillators
incorporated
waveguides
semiconductor
laser action
semiconductor laser
transition metal
laser material
rate laser
semiconductor lasers
host crystals
laser crystals
saturable absorber
metal doped
host crystal
switching applications
doped sulfide
laser crystal
/372/