Comparison of solid state dye laser performance in various host media

Over the past twenty years there has been much research into the laser operation of solid materials doped with laser dyes. Although some research has developed high performance systems for operation at, for example, unusual wavelengths or with narrow linewidth, the most pertinent performance parameters remain the efficiency and the photostability. By reviewing all the published data concerning these parameters it is concluded that the main factor determining performance is the choice of laser dye. The performance of rhodamine 6G in solid-state dye lasers has not been improved and the only progress that has been made in this field is due to the introduction of the pyrromethene dyes which can now be used for many applications. Although optimization of the host material can improve performance of pyrromethene solid-state dye lasers no clear advantage can be gained by choosing either a glass or a plastic host. Long pulse length flashlamp pumped operation remains challenging, at least in part due to triplet state losses.

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