Tunable Wavelength Solid-State Lasers and Turbulent Jet Diagnostics by Rayleigh and Fluorescence Scattering

摘要

Broadly tunable solid-state lasers in the blue-green appeared to be feasible for Eu(2+) and Ce(3+) ions doped in several host crystals. While the optical absorption and fluorescence were encouraging, our results on excited-state absorption indicated that laser action from many of the crystals considered by our group and other laboratories is not possible. Based on our results, a general guideline can be established for screening the existence of excited-state absorption from known linear absorption and fluorescence spectra, thereby alleviating the need to perform excited-state absorption experiments for each crystal. Ce(3+) ions doped in A2BYF6 (A = Cs or Rb and B = Na or K) crystals possess low excited-state absorption, broad fluorescence bands in the blue-green, and pump bands easily accessibly with N2 or XeC1 lasers. Purification and growth procedures for synthesizing single crystals of Cs2KYF6 and Kb2KYF6 doped with 0.01% Ce(3+) ions are presented.