Solid state Raman lasers: materials, design, and applications

Several years after the discovery of Raman scattering of light, solid state Raman lasers are beginning to reach the stage of commercial applications. This talk will review the basic concepts of Raman gain with a special emphasis on Raman laser crystals. Examples of spectroscopic properties of important materials are presented. The use of these materials in shared-, coupled,- and external-resonator Raman laser systems is described. Design parameters affecting efficiency, beam quality, and temporal pulse width are discussed. Examples will be presented of the use of these lasers for transmitters in atmospheric lidar, marine imaging lidar, adaptive optics guide-stars, and materials processing applications.