Ce3+-doped colquiriite : a new concept of all-solid-state tunable ultraviolet laser

Abstract In this letter the first performance of tunable solid-state ultraviolet laser, based on 5d-4f transitions of Ce3+ ions in a colquiriite LiCaAlF6 single crystal, is reported. Our findings hold promise for devising a tunable u.v. all-solid-state laser pumped by the fourth harmonic radiation of any commercially available Nd laser.