Fe:ZnMnSe laser active material at 78-300 K: Spectroscopic properties and laser generation at 4.2-5.0 µm

Abstract Fe:Zn1−xMnxSe solid-solution (x=0 to 0.4) spectroscopic properties were investigated in the temperature range 78 – 300 K. As an excitation source, an Er:YAG laser (2937 nm, 10 mJ, 120 ns) was used. The laser oscillations were successfully achieved with five novel Fe:Zn1−xMnxSe crystals (x=0 to 0.3) in the whole above mentioned temperature range. The laser central wavelengths at 78 K were ∼4170 nm for x=0.05 with the linear increase up to ∼4500 nm for x=0.3. The oscillation wavelength shift corresponds well to the fluorescence as well as self-lasing maxima. The laser output energies were generally decreasing with the Mn content increase from 2.5 mJ for x=0 down to 0.8 mJ for x=0.3. With the temperature increase up to ∼300 K, almost linear increase of the generated wavelength was observed together with the output energy decrease. In comparison with the laser operation at 78 K, the central wavelengths at 300 K were shifted by about 430 nm towards longer wavelengths. The central wavelengths at ∼300 K were ∼4625 nm for x=0.05 with the increase up to ∼4920 nm for x=0.3. Moreover, the Fe:Zn1−xMnxSe lasers operation was further achieved at ∼300 K without the cryostat when atmospheric absorption can play a negative role. The maximum output energy of 0.28 mJ for x=0.05 with the slope efficiency of 11% with respect to the absorbed pump energy was obtained. These novel Fe:Zn1−xMnxSe crystals are showing new possibilities to develop a compact solid-state laser generating radiation in the spectral region 4200 – 5000 nm.