Color-center laser pumped by copper vapor and dye laser radiations

Stimulated emission from LiF:F⁺₂ was observed when this crystal was pumped at the wavelengths λ₁ = 570.6 nm and λ₂ = 578.2 nm simultaneously or by the yellow line of the copper vapor laser or with radiation from an oxazine-17 dye laser excited by a Cu laser. The average output power of the color-center laser was 23 mW with a maximum at 911 nm. The highest efficiency achieved in these experiments was 3.4% when the color centers were pumped by the yellow line of a Cu laser. The output characteristics of the color-center laser were determined for all three types of pumping.