Intracavity laser spectroscopy with a Co:MgF2 laser

A Co:MgF₂ crystal laser, capable of operating in a wide spectral range 1.6 — 2.5 μm, was used for the first time in intracavity laser spectroscopy. An investigation was made of pulsed lasing, generating pulses of 40 μs duration. Within this time interval the sensitivity depended linearly on the lasing duration. The results obtained confirmed the suitability of a Co:MgF₂ laser for detecting weak absorption by intracavity near-IR spectroscopy.