Spiking laser oscillation, which is often observed in solid-state lasers, in a flashlamp-pumped Cr,Tm:YAG laser was smoothed by insertion of a Ge crystalline plate in the laser cavity as a nonlinear optical limiting element. Although the laser efficiency was reduced more with the use of this Ge plate than with SHG crystals, Ge is expected to be used for low-cost and field-use systems because of its robustness.

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We measured the small signal gain coefficient of Cr,Tm:YAG and Cr,Tm,Ho:YAG flashlamp pumped lasers, varying the rod temperature (5–25°C) and pumping energy density (51.3–85.9 J/cm3). The maximum small signal gain coefficients measured for these lasers were 0.144 cm-1 and 0.234 cm-1, respectively. The Cr,Tm,Ho:YAG laser was found to have a two-fold higher gain, and to be more temperature-sensitive than the Cr,Tm:YAG laser.

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