Transition of crystal growth for near IR laser gain materials from R&D investigations to production growth

From its discovery and synthesis in 1988, to its first commercial availability in 1990, Cr:LiSrAlF/sub 6/ (LISAF) has been a challenging material to refine and manufacture for a variety of commercial applications. VLOC Incorporated successfully commercialized this particular material with a strong philosophy of partnering and support from federal and industrial funds. Since the decision was made to develop this material for a wide variety of applications, a number of obstacles had to be overcome. The material has differing coefficients of thermal expansion, the elimination of particulate scatter was a challenge, and development of fabrication and coating techniques required specialized skills not readily transferable from commercial YAG technologies. Each of these challenges has been addressed, and the results from our investigations will be highlighted for each. Cr:LiSAF melts at approximately 765 C, and is grown utilizing the Czochralski growth technique.