The United States of America As Represented by the Administrator of the

Other

Keith E Murray

Norman P Barnes

Mahendra G Jani

Clyde A Morrison

Milan R Kokta

George E Lockard

Ralph L Hutcheson

Elizabeth D Filer

A method is provided to control the lasing wavelength of a laser material without changing or adjusting the mechanical components of a laser device. The rate at which the laser material is pumped with the pumping energy is controlled so that lasing occurs at one or more lasing wavelengths based on the rate. The lasing wavelengths are determined by transition lifetimes and/or energy transfer rates.

Method of controlling lasing wavelength(s)

A laser host material LuLF (LuLiF.sub.4) is doped with holmium (Ho) and thulium (Tm) to produce a new laser material that is capable of laser light production in the vicinity of 2 .mu.m. The material provides an advantage in efficiency over conventional Ho lasers because the LuLF host material allows for decreased threshold and upconversion over such hosts as YAG and YLF. The addition of Tm allows for pumping by commonly available GaAlAs laser diodes. For use with flashlamp pumping, erbium (Er) may be added as an additional dopant. For further upconversion reduction, the Tm can be eliminated and the Ho can be directly pumped.

Ho:LuLF and Ho:Tm:LuLF laser materials

A room temperature solid-state laser is provided. A laser crystal is disposed in a laser cavity. The laser crystal has a LuAG host material doped with a concentration of about 0.35% Ho ions, about 5.57% Tm ions and at least about 1.01% Cr ions. A broadband energizing source such as a flashlamp is disposed transversely to the laser crystal to energize the Ho ions, Tm ions and Cr ions.

Flashlamp-pumped Ho:Tm:Cr:LuAG laser

Growing community of inventors

White Marsh, VA, United States of America

Keith E Murray