BRIEF COMMUNICATIONS: Lasing in YAG:Nd3+ and KGdW:Nd3+ crystals pumped with semiconductor lasers
Lasing in crystals with narrow absorption bands was achieved for the first time by excitation with radiation emitted from electron-beam-pumped CdSxSe1–x semiconductor lasers. The lasing thresholds of YAG:Nd3+ and KGdW:Nd3+ crystals pumped with λ = 586 nm radiation were ~ 2 and ~ 1 mJ, respectively. The efficiency of conversion of the pump radiation into the output radiation in the KGdW:Nd3+ laser was 0.27%.