ANALYSIS OF BLUE AND RED LASER PERFORMANCE OF THE INFRARED-PUMPED PRASEODYMIUM-DOPED FLUORIDE FIBER LASER

The laser performance at 491 and 635 nm of praseodymium-doped fluorozi rconate fiber pumped at 1.01 mum and 835 mm is described and is interp reted with analytical solutions to the rate equations. Spectroscopic m easurements of the absorption and the emission cross'sections are pres ented, and the values are shown to be consistent with the observed las ing performance. The analytical model is shown to be a reliable indica tion of the optimum length of fiber for operation on the three-level 4 91-nm transition.