EXCITED-STATE ABSORPTION AND STIMULATED-EMISSION OF ND3- PART 2 - YVO4, GDVO4, AND SR-5(PO4)(3)F( IN CRYSTALS )

We measured the excited state absorption and simulated stimulated emis sion of the Nd3+ ion in the crystals YVO4, GdVO4, and Sr-5(PO4)(3)F. T he measurements were performed in the spectral region of the main lase r transitions F-4(3/2) --> I-4(9/2), F-4(3/2) --> I-4(11/2), and F-4(3 /2) --> I-4(13/2) by a continuous wave pump and probe technique. The c alibrated gain and ESA spectra are presented and possible implications of ESA on the laser performance are estimated. It is shown that ESA c an be a small loss factor to the laser emission near 1060 nm but does considerably diminish the effective emission cross sections near 1340 nm especially in Nd:YVO4 and Nd:GdVO4.