Low-Loss, Transition-Metal Doped Zinc Chalcogenide Crystals for Near- and Mid-Infrared Solid-State Lasers

This proposal seeks to grow crystals of Cr:ZnSe and Co:ZnSe which will have low optical loss, using commercially available ZnSe substrates and thermal indiffusion of the dopant ions. Currently, there are no commercial suppliers of these-crystals which are excellent candidates for direct near-IR and mid-IR tunable, compact, diode-pumpable laser sources; of which, there are none currently available. The specific objectives are: 1, establish reaction conditions necessary for growth of low-loss Cr:ZnSe; 2, optimize dopant concentration by spectroscopic analysis, and characterize laser performance; 3, establish reaction conditions necessary for growth of Co:ZnSe; 4, Characterize spectroscopy of Co2+ in this material. Commercially available ZnSe single crystals will be used as starting materials, into which Cr2+ and Co2+ ions will be doped by thermal indiffusion from sources of Cr and Co in sealed vessels. Reaction variables such as temperature and time will be manipulated to determine the optimum conditions. Fluorescence spectra will be used to establish optimum doping levels. Laser operation will be demonstrated in the Cr:ZnSe using an existing pump source and cavity optics which were developed specifically for these materials.