Laser-diode-pumped laser apparatus in which Pr3amp;plus;-doped laser medium is pumped with GaN-based compound laser diode

摘要

In a laser-diode-pumped laser apparatus, a solid-state laser crystal doped with at least one rare-earth element including at least Pr^3+ is pumped with a laser diode, and emits laser light. In the first aspect, the laser diode has an active layer made of one of an InGaN, InGaNAs, and GaNAs materials, and an optical wavelength conversion element converts the solid-state laser light into ultraviolet laser light by wavelength conversion. In the second aspect, the solid-state laser crystal is codoped with Pr^3+ and at least one of Er^3+, Ho^3+, Dy^3+, Eu^3+, Sm^3+, Pm^3+, and Nd^3+. In the third aspect, instead of the solid-state laser crystal, an optical fiber codoped with Pr^3+ and at least one of Er^3+, Ho^3+, Dy^3+, Eu^3+, Sm^3+, Pm^3+, and Nd^3+ is pumped with a GaN-based compound laser diode. In the fourth aspect, an optical fiber codoped with Pr^3+ and at least one of Er^3+, Ho^3+, Dy^3+, Eu^3+, Sm³, Pm³, and Nd^3+ amplifies incident light having a wavelength which is identical with a wavelength of fluorescence generated by pumping of the optical fiber with a GaN-based compound laser diode.