Cr3+ sensitized Nd3+: Li‐La‐phosphate glass laser

Room‐temperature quasi cw lasing at 1.06 μm was obtained in Li‐(La1−x−yNdxCry) ‐phosphate glass. Thresholds as low as 1 mW and slope efficiencies up to 18% have been measured. Cross pumping of Nd3+ (x = 0.3) via Cr3+ (y = 0.03) yields a transfer efficiency of 0.45. For broadband pump sources, the spectral factor of merit (2.3) raises the slope efficiency over those of Nd3+‐only doped laser glasses.