MID-IR MICROCHIP LASER: ZNS:CR2+ LASER WITH SATURABLE ABSORBER MATERIAL

摘要

A method of fabrication of laser gain material and utilization of such mediaincludes the steps of introducing a transitional metal, preferably Cr2+ thinfilm of controllable thickness on the ZnS crystal facets after crystal growthby means of pulse laser deposition or plasma sputtering, thermal annealing ofthe crystals for effective thermal diffusion of the dopant into the crystalvolume with a temperature and exposition time providing the highestconcentration of the dopant in the volume without degrading laser performancedue to scattering and concentration quenching, and formation of a microchiplaser either by means of direct deposition of mirrors on flat and parallelpolished facets of a thin Cr:ZnS wafer or by relying on the internalreflectance of such facets. The gain material is susceptible to utilization ofdirect diode or fiber laser pumping of a microchip laser with a level of powerdensity providing formation of positive lens and corresponding cavitystabilization as well as threshold population inversion in the laser material.Multiple application of the laser material are contemplated in the invention.