Ceramic hosts, transition-metal doping of II-VI hosts, and optically pumped semiconductor lasers are expanding the range of solid-state laser capabilities to new wavelengths and higher powers. Although pump sources and cavity designs have evolved over the years, the raw materials for solid-state lasers have been slow to change. Solid-state physics is a complex field, and it has long been cheaper and easier to refine established laser materials such as glass, YAG, and YLF, than to develop new materials for commercial use.
展开▼
