PERFORMANCE OF A CR-YAG LASER

We report on the performance of a Cr4+:YAG laser, tunable over the ran ge from 1.32 to 1.53 mu m, under different operating conditions. Laser action has been achieved by pumping with a Nd:YAG laser in the Q-swit ched mode and cw mode and with a Cr;Nd:GSGG laser in the long pulse mo de. Slope efficiencies up to 22% in the Q-switched mode have been achi eved. The lowest threshold was 30 mJ for the long pulse pumped mode. E xcited state absorption seems to limit the tuning range and the output characteristics.