CW Tunable Laser Emission of Nd 3+ :Na 0.4 Y 0.6 F 2.2

The combination of efficient laser diodes and optically pumped laser materials with high energy storage is currently of great interest. The requirements of the laser material for this application are somewhat different than with normal lamp excitation. First, the fluorescence lifetime of the upper laser level should be long in order to integrate the limited peak power from the laser diode. Second, since pumping by a laser diode can be near-resonant with the upper laser level, the thermal and mechanical requirements of the laser material are not quite as strict.