CHARACTERIZATION OF ER:CR:GSGG

RECENT STUDIES TO IMPROVE THE EFFICIENCY OF LAMP-PUMPED SOLID STATE LASERS HAVE SHOWN THAT CHROMIUM (CR) SENSITIZATION OF THE NEODYMIUM (ND) ION IS EFFECTIVE IN THE HOST CRYSTAL GADOLINIUM SCANDIUM GALLIUM GARNET (GSGG). IN THIS PROPOSAL A STUDY WILL BE MADE OF THE CRSENSITIZATION OF ANOTHER RARE-EARTH ION, ERBIUM (ER). BASIC SPECTROSCOPIC MEASUREMENTS ON A CRYSTAL OF ER:CR:GSGG WOULD BE PERFORMED TO DERIVE THE ENERGY-LEVELS OF THER ER ION AS WELL AS THE TRANSFER PARAMETERS FOR THE CR-ER ENERGY EXCHANGE PROCESS. LASER EXPERIMENTS WOULD ALSO BE CARRIED OUT IF THE AVAILABLE CRYSTAL WAS OF SUFFICIENT QUALITY. THE OPERATING EFFICIENCY OF TWO ER TRANSITIONS, AT 1600 AND 2900 NM COULD BE SUBSTANTIALLY IMPROVED IF CR SENSITIZATION PROVED TO BE SIGNIFICANT.