Fundamentals of Solid-State Lasers

The most important solid-state laser material used for material processing is Nd:YAG; followed by Cr:ruby and Nd:glass. Possible new materials are Cr:alexandrite, Nd:GSGG, Nd:GGG, Nd:Cr:GGG and Yb:YAG. For medical applications, holmium and erbium are used at different wavelengths in various host crystals or glasses.