Fe2+ : ZnSe laser pumped by a nonchain electric-discharge HF laser at room temperature

The characteristics of a Fe²⁺ : ZnSe laser in a scheme with transverse pumping by a nonchain electric-discharge HF laser at room temperature are studied. Doping of ZnSe crystals with Fe²⁺ ions was performed by diffusion simultaneously through two surfaces under the conditions of thermodynamic equilibrium. It is found that the Fe²⁺ : ZnSe laser pulses are modulated by short spikes (3 – 7 ns at half maximum at low pump energies), whose number decreases and modulation depth increases as the pump energy decreases to a threshold value. A laser pulse energy of 30.6 mJ is achieved at a pulse duration at half maximum of ~125 ns (at high pump energies); the possibility of a further increase in the energy of Fe²⁺ : ZnSe lasers pumped by nonchain HF lasers is discussed.