Page 184 - Handbook of Lasers

As shown in Figure 1.2.2, the reported wavelengths of lanthanide-ion glass lasers range

from 0.38 to 4 microns. The wavelength range is less than that of crystals at both the long
and short wavelength extrema. The lasing wavelength could be extended to shorter wave-
lengths using glassy hosts with larger energy gaps such as beryllium fluoride and silica.
Extension further into the infrared is limited by the vibrational frequencies associated with
the glass network formers and nonradiative decay processes.

0.1 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0

3+
Nd
3+
Nd
3+
Tm
3+
Tm
3+
Pr
3+
Pr 3+
Tb
3+ 3+
Er , Ho
3+
Pr 3+
3+
Pr 3+
Pr 3+
Ho 3+
Tm 3+
3+
Er
3+
Pr
3+
Pr
3+
Pm
Nd3+
Er3+
Yb 3+
Nd 3+
3+
Pr
Pm 3+
Ho 3+
Pr 3+
Nd 3+
Ho 3+
3+
Tm
3+
Tm
3+
Er
3+
Er 3+
Er
3+
Tm 3+
Ho
3+
Tm
3+
Er
3+
Ho
3+
Ho
3+
Er 3+
Ho
0.1 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0
Wavelength ( mm)
Figure 1.2.2 Approximate wavelengths of lanthanide-ion glass lasers; exact wavelengths are
dependent on the glass composition and temperature and the specific Stark levels involved (from
the Handbook of Laser Wavelengths, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 1998, with permission).
©2001 CRC Press LLC