Crystalline Mid-Infrared Lasers

TEM characterization of oxidized AlGaAs/AlAs nonlinear optical waveguides

“…While the ideal source for this kind of applications should be continuous-wave (cw), continuously tunable, cheap and easy to use, the current state of the art includes semi-conductor lasers and optical parametric oscillators (OPO's) [1]. Although the former can provide significant cw output power at almost any wavelength from visible to 20 µm, their overall tuning range is typically limited to a few tens of nanometers and is commonly affected by longitudinal-mode hops.…”

Femtosecond SESAM-modelocked Cr:ZnS laser

“…The absorption band allows efficient pumping using widely available Er:fiber and InGaAsP-InP diode lasers in the 1.55 1.61 µm wavelength range, while the emission band moves towards the middle of the atmospheric water-free window around 2.3 µm, making the ultrashort-pulse operation at open air more stable and environmentally independent. The other important advantages include [5]: a noticeably higher than in Cr:ZnSe thermal conductivity in the cubic phase (27 W/mK in ZnS vs. 19 W/mK in ZnSe), the better hardness, better chemical and mechanical stability, lower level of toxicity, the higher thermal shock parameter ( [10]). Nevertheless, twice lower n 2 value in Cr:ZnS should allow higher energy femtosecond pulses from the oscillator.…”

Compact Cr:ZnS Channel Waveguide Laser Operating at 2360 nm

“…The increase in thermal conductivity, from 18 to 27 W·m −1 K −1 , for Cr:ZnSe and Cr:ZnS respectively [16], places Cr:ZnS as an interesting material for power scaling applications. Indeed, in standard bulk laser cavities, these systems have been shown to be capable of 21.5 W CW operation [17].…”