Spectral-luminescent properties of vapor deposited Cr:ZnS thin films and their application as saturable absorbers for 15-μm erbium lasers

Nikolai Tolstik, Evgeni Sorokin, Eric A. Karhu, Konstantin Gorbachenya, Stanislav M. Polyakov, Viktor E. Kisel, Nikolai Kuleshov, Vedran Furtula, Ursula J. Gibson, Irina T. Sorokina
2018 Optical Materials Express  
We report the results of the extensive spectral-luminescent characterization including concentration quenching analysis of the first laser-quality vapor-deposited Cr:ZnS films, and demonstrate their use as saturable absorbers. Comparison of spectral-luminescent properties with bulk Cr:ZnS indicates their high laser quality, opening the way towards industrial mid-IR thin-disk and waveguide lasers. Successful implementation of the grown films in a Q-switched Er,Yb:GdAB solid-state laser emitting
more » ... t 1.52 μm gives clear experimental evidence of the high quality of the films.
doi:10.1364/ome.8.000522 fatcat:endu534qcvdg5akkzees7qzxgm