Cr2+:ZnSe active media with inhomogeneous doping profiles: modeling and experimental results

Cr
²⁺
:ZnSe polycrystalline active elements with different distribution profiles of Cr
²⁺
ions concentration over their thicknesses were fabricated. Dependences of the output laser powers on the incident pump power of Tm
³⁺
-laser in continuous and pulse modes were obtained. There was found to be a correlation between the generation slope efficiency and the shape of the concentration profile. There was proposed a numerical model to explain the experimental results by the influence of thermo-optical distortions caused by uneven heating of the active elements due to the pumping process.