Abstract

Tunable sources of coherent ultraviolet radiation are required for remote atmospheric sensing, chemical and biological species detection, photolithography, and high resolution spectroscopy. For applications which require a compact, rugged device, an all-solid-state source is desirable. Two solid-state approaches for generating coherent UV radiation include direct lasing of gain media such as Ce³⁺:LiSrAlF₆ (Ce³⁺:LiSAF) and frequency tripling of a tunable, near infrared laser source such as Cr³⁺:LiSrAlF₆ (Cr^3T:LiSAF). In this paper, the physical properties, laser performance, and relevant advantages of each of these laser systems are discussed.

© 1995 Optical Society of America