Performance of a Cr:YAG laser

We report on the performance of a Cr/sup 4+/:YAG laser, tunable over the range from 1.32 to 1.53 mu m, under different operating conditions. Laser action has been achieved by pumping with a Nd:YAG laser in the Q-switched mode and cw mode and with a Cr:Nd:GSGG laser in the long pulse mode. Slope efficiencies up to 22% in the Q-switched mode have been achieved. The lowest threshold was 30 mJ for the long pulse pumped mode. Excited state absorption seems to limit the tuning range and the output characteristics.<
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