Mid-infrared spectroscopy of erbium doped chloride laser crystals.
We report on a spectroscopic analysis of ErCl3 and 1% Er 3+:YCl3 to determine their potential as possible laser sources at 3.5 and 4.5 mm. Concentration quenching of the low lying excited states is reported to be surprisingly very weak in this system. Although some shortening of the lifetimes is measured in the fully concentrated system, they retain lifetimes that are of order several milliseconds or more. A Judd-Ofelt analysis is performed and the projected gains for the 3.5 and 4.5 mm transitions are calculated. Successful growth techniques of erbium doped chlorides are also described.
S
S
Kirkpatrick
L
L
Shaw
S
S
Bowman
S
S
Searles
B
B
Feldman
J
J
Ganem