HandBook of lasers webber

111
Uuu
112
Uub
(272)
2
He
4.002602
2
0
K
Shell
K-L
K-L-M
-L-M-N
-M-N-O
-N-O-P
-O-P-Q
-N-O-P
-O-P-Q
18
VIIIA
17
VIIB
VIIA
16
VIB
VIA
15
VB

VA
14
IVB
IVA
13
IIIB
IIIA
10
Ne
20.1797
2-8
0
9
F
18.9984032
2-7
-1
8
O
15.9994
2-6
-2
7
N
14.00674
2-5
+1
+2
+3
+4

+5
-1
-2
-3
6
C
12.0107
2-4
+2
+4
-4
5
B
10.811
2-3
+3
18
Ar
39.948
2-8-8
0
17
Cl
35.4527
2-8-7
+1
+5
+7
-1
16

S
32.066
2-8-6
+4
+6
-2
15
P
30.973761
2-8-5
+3
+5
-3
14
Si
28.0855
2-8-4
+2
+4
-4
13
Al
26.981538
2-8-3
+3
36
Kr
83.80
-8-18-8
0

35
Br
79.904
-8-18-7
+1
+5
-1
34
Se
78.96
-8-18-6
+4
+6
-2
33
As
74.92160
-8-18-5
+3
+5
-3
32
Ge
72.61
-8-18-4
+2
+4
31
Ga
69.723

-8-18-3
+3
54
Xe
131.29
-18-18-8
0
53
I
126.90447
-18-18-7
+1
+5
+7
-1
52
Te
127.60
-18-18-6
+4
+6
-2
51
Sb
121.760
-18-18-5
+3
+5
-3
50

Sn
118.710
-18-18 -4
+2
+4
49
In
114.818
-18-18-3
+3
86
Rn
(222)
-32-18-8
0
85
At
(210)
-32-18-7
84
Po
(209)
-32-18-6
+2
+4
83
Bi
208.98038
-32-18-5
+3

+5
82
Pb
207.2
-32-18-4
+2
+4
81
Tl
204.3833
-32-18-3
+1
+3
1
H
1.00794
1
+1
-1
1
Group
IA
30
Zn
65.39
-8-18-2
+2
29
Cu
63.546

-8-18-1
+1
+2
28
Ni
58.6934
-8-16-2
+2
+3
27
Co
58.933200
-8-15-2
26
Fe
55.845
-8-13-2
+2
+3
25
Mn
54.938049
-8-13-2
+2
+3
+4
+7
24
Cr
51.9961

-8-13-1
+2
+3
+6
23
V
50.9415
-8-11-2
+2
+3
+4
+5
22
Ti
47.867
-8-10-2
+2
+3
+4
21
Sc
44.955910
-8-9-2
+3
20
Ca
40.078
-8-8-2
+2
19

K
39.0983
-8-8-1
+1 +2
+3
4
Be
9.012182
2-2
+2
3
Li
6.941
2-1
+1
12
Mg
24.3050
2-8-2
+2
11
Na
22.989770
2-8-1
+1
2
IIA
3
IIIA
IIIB

4
IVA
IVB
5
VA
VB
6
VIA
VIB
7
VIIA
VIIB
11
IB
IB
12
IIB
IIB
109
VIIIA
VIII
8
48
Cd
112.411
-18-18-2
+2
47
Ag
107.8682

-18-18-1
+1
46
Pd
106.42
-18-18-0
+2
+3
45
Rh
102.90550
-18-16-1
44
Ru
101.07
-18-15-1
+3
43
Tc
(98)
-18-13-2
42
Mo
95.94
-18-13-1
+6
41
Nb
92.90638
-18-12-1

+3
+5
40
Zr
91.224
-18-10-2
+4
39
Y
88.90585
-18-9-2
+3
38
Sr
87.62
-18-8-2
+2
37
Rb
85.4678
-18-8-1
+1 +3
80
Hg
200.59
-32-18-2
+1
+2
79
Au

196.96655
-32-18-1
+1
+3
78
Pt
195.078
-32-17-1
+2
+4
77
Ir
192.217
-32-15-2
76
Os
190.23
-32-14-2
+3
+4
75
Re
186.207
-32-13-2
74
W
183.84
-32-12-2
+6
73

Ta
180.9479
-32-11-2
+5
72
Hf
178.49
-32-10-2
+4
57*
La
138.9055
-18-9-2
+3
56
Ba
137.327
-18-8-2
+2
55
Cs
132.90545
-18-8-1
+1 +3
+4
110
Uun
(271)
-32-16-2
109

Mt
(268)
-32-15-2
108
Hs
(269)
-32-14-2
107
Bh
(264)
-32-13-2
106
Sg
(266)
-32-12-2
105
Db
(262)
-32-11-2
104
Rf
(261)
-32-10-2
+4
89**
Ac
(227)
-18-9-2
+3
88

Ra
(226)
-18-8-2
+2
87
Fr
(223)
-18-8-1
+1
+4
+6
+7
+4
+6
+7
71
Lu
174.967
-32-9-2
+3
70
Yb
173.04
-32-8-2
+2
+3
69
Tm
168.93421
-31-8-2

+3
68
Er
167.26
-30-8-2
+3
67
Ho
164.93032
-29-8-2
+3
66
Dy
162.50
-28-8-2
+3
65
Tb
158.92534
-27-8-2
+3
64
Gd
157 .25
-25-9-2
63
Eu
151.964
-25-8-2
+2

+3
62
Sm
150.36
-24-8-2
61
Pm
(145)
-23-8-2
+3
60
Nd
144.24
-22-8-2
+3
59
Pr
140.90765
-21-8-2
+3
58
Ce
140.116
-19-9-2
+3
+4
* Lanthanides
+3
97
Bk

(247)
-27-8-2
96
Cm
(247)
-25-9-2
95
Am
(243)
-25-8-2
94
Pu
(244)
-24-8-2
93
Np
(237)
-22-9-2
92
U
238.0289
-21-9-2
91
Pa
231.03588
-20-9-2
+5
+4
90
Th

232.0381
-18-10-2
+4
+2
+3
** Actinides
103
Lr
(262)
-32-9-2
+3
102
No
(259)
-32-8-2
+2
+3
101
Md
(258)
-31-8-2
+2
+3
100
Fm
(257)
-30-8-2
+3
99
Es

(252)
-29-8-2
+3
98
Cf
(251)
-28-8-2
+3+3
+4
+3
+4
+5
+6
+3
+4
+5
+6
+3+3
+4
+5
+6
+3
+4
+5
+6
The new IUPAC format numbers the groups from 1 to 18. The previous IUPAC numbering system and the system used by Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) are also shown. For radioactive
elements that do not occur in nature, the mass number of the most stable isotope is given in parentheses.
References
1. G. J. Leigh, Editor, Nomenclature of Inorganic Chemistry, Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford, 1990.
2. Chemical and Engineering News, 63(5), 27, 1985.

3. Atomic Weights of the Elements, 1995, Pure & Appl. Chem., 68, 2339, 1996.
50
Sn
118.710
-18-18-4
+2
+4
Key to Chart
Oxidation States
Electron
Configuration
Atomic Number
Symbol
1995 Atomic Weight
PERIODIC TABLE OF THE ELEMENTS
New Notation
Previous IUPAC Form
CAS Version
© CRC Press 2001 LLC
©2001 CRC Press LLC
Handbook
of
Lasers
Marvin J. Weber Ph.D.
Lawence Berkeley National Laboratory
University of California
Berkeley, California
©2001 CRC Press LLC
Preface
Lasers continue to be an amazingly robust field of activity, one of continually expanding

scientific and technological frontiers. Thus today we have lasing without inversion, quantum
cascade lasers, lasing in strongly scattering media, lasing in biomaterials, lasing in photonic
crystals, a single atom laser, speculation about black hole lasers, femtosecond-duration laser
pulses only a few cycles long, lasers with subhertz linewidths, semiconductor lasers with
predicted operating lifetimes of more than 100 years, peak powers in the petawatt regime and
planned megajoule pulse lasers, sizes ranging from semiconductor lasers with dimensions of
a few microns diameter and a few hundred atoms thick to huge glass lasers with hundreds of
beams for inertial confinement fusion research, lasers costing from less than one dollar to
more than one billion dollars, and a multibillion dollar per year market.
In addition, the nearly ubiquitous presence of lasers in our daily lives attests to the
prolific growth of their utilization. The laser is at the heart of the revolution that is marrying
photonic and electronic devices. In the past four decades, the laser has become an invaluable
tool for mankind encompassing such diverse applications as science, engineering,
communications, manufacturing and materials processing, medical therapeutics,
entertainment and displays, data storage and processing, environmental sensing, military,
energy, and metrology. It is difficult to imagine state-of-the-art research in physics,
chemistry, biology, and medicine without the use of radiation from various laser systems.
Laser action occurs in all states of matter—solids, liquids, gases, and plasmas. Within
each category of lasing medium there may be differences in the nature of the active lasing ion
or center, the composition of the medium, and the excitation and operating techniques. For
some lasers, the periodic table has been extensively explored and exploited; for others—
solid-state lasers in particular—the compositional regime of hosts continues to expand. In
the case of semiconductor lasers the ability to grow special structures one atomic layer at a
time by liquid phase epitaxy, molecular beam epitaxy, and metal-organic chemical vapor
deposition has led to numerous new structures and operating configurations, such as
quantum wells and superlattices, and to a proliferation of new lasing wavelengths. Quantum
cascade lasers are examples of laser materials by design.
The number and type of lasers and their wavelength coverage continue to expand.
Anyone seeking a photon source is now confronted with an enormous number of possible
lasers and laser wavelengths. The spectral output ranges of solid, liquid, and gas lasers are

shown in Figure 1 and extend from the soft x-ray and extreme ultraviolet regions to
millimeter wavelengths, thus overlapping masers. By using various frequency conversion
techniques—harmonic generation, parametric oscillation, sum- and difference-frequency
mixing, and Raman shifting—the wavelength of a given laser can be extended to longer and
shorter wavelengths, thus enlarging its spectral coverage.
This volume seeks to provide a comprehensive, up-to-date compilation of lasers, their
properties, and original references in a readily accessible form for laser scientists and
engineers and for those contemplating the use of lasers. The compilation also indicates the
state of knowledge and development in the field, provides a rapid means of obtaining
reference data, is a pathway to the literature, contains data useful for comparison with
predictions and/or to develop models of processes, and may reveal fundamental
inconsistencies or conflicts in the data. It serves an archival function and as an indicator of
newly emerging trends.
©2001 CRC Press LLC
Solid-state lasers:
Liquid lasers:
Gas lasers:
Far infrared
Infrared
Millimeter-
microwave
Vacuum
ultraviolet
Soft
x-ray
X-ray
3.9 nm
µm
1.00.10.010.001 10 100 1000
Wavelength ( µm)

0.17
Ultraviolet Visible
360 µm
1.8 µm0.33
µm
Masers
Figure 1 Reported ranges of output wavelengths for various laser media.
In this volume lasers are categorized based on their media—solids, liquids, and gases—
with each category further subdivided as appropriate into distinctive laser types. Thus there
are sections on crystalline paramagnetic ion lasers, glass lasers, polymer lasers, color center
lasers, semiconductor lasers, liquid and solid-state dye lasers, inorganic liquid lasers, and
neutral atom, ionized, and molecular gas lasers. A separate section on "other" lasers which
have special operating configurations or properties includes x-ray lasers, free electron lasers,
nuclear-pumped lasers, lasers in nature, and lasers without inversion. Brief descriptions of
each type of laser are given followed by tables listing the lasing element or medium, host,
lasing transition and wavelength, operating properties, and primary literature citations.
Tuning ranges, when reported, are given for broadband lasers. The references are generally
those of the initial report of laser action; no attempt is made to follow the often voluminous
subsequent developments. For most types of lasers, lasing—light amplification by
stimulated emission of radiation—includes, for completeness, not only operation in a
resonant cavity but also single-pass gain or amplified spontaneous emission (ASE). Thus,
for example, there is a section on amplification of core-valence luminescence.
Because laser performance is dependent on the operating configurations and experimental
conditions used, output data are generally not included. The interested reader is advised to
retrieve details of the structures and operating conditions from the original reference (in many
cases information about the output and operating configuration is included in the title of the
paper that is included in the references). Performance and background information about
lasers in general and about specific types of lasers in particular can be obtained from the
books and articles listed under Further Reading in each section.
An extended table of contents is provided from which the reader should be able to locate

the section containing a laser of interest. Within each subsection, lasers are arranged
according to the elements in the periodic table or alphabetically by materials, and may be
further separated by operating technique (for example, in the case of semiconductor lasers,
injection, optically pumped, or electron beam pumped).
©2001 CRC Press LLC
This Handbook of Lasers is derived from data evaluated and compiled by the
contributors to Volumes I and II and Supplement 1 of the CRC Handbook Series of Laser
Science and Technology and to the Handbook of Laser Wavelengths. These contributors are
identified in following pages. In most cases it was possible to update these tabulations to
include more recent additions and new categories of lasers. For semiconductor lasers, where
the lasing wavelength may not be a fundamental property but the result of material
engineering and the operating configuration used, an effort was made to be representative
with respect to operating configurations and modes rather than exhaustive in the coverage of
the literature. The number of reported gas laser transitions is huge; they constitute nearly
80% of the over 16,000 laser wavelengths in this volume. Laser transitions in gases are well
covered through the late 1980s in the above volumes. An electronic database of gas lasers
prepared from the tables in Volume II and Supplement 1 by John Broad and Stephen Krog
of the Joint Institute of Laboratory Astrophysics was used for this volume, but does not
cover all recent developments.
Although there is a tremendous diversity of laser transitions and types, only a few laser
systems have gained widespread use and commercial acceptance. In addition, some laser
systems that were of substantial commercial interest in past years are becoming obsolete and
are likely to be supplanted by other types in the future. Nevertheless, separate subsections on
commercially available lasers are included thoroughout the volume to provide a perspective
on the current state-of-the-art and performance boundaries.
To cope with the continued proliferation of acronyms, abbreviations, and initialisms
which range from the clever and informative to the amusing or annoying, there is an
appendix of acronyms, abbreviations, initialisms, and common names for lasers, laser
materials, laser structures and operating configurations, and systems involving lasers. Other
appendices contain information about laser safety, the ground state electron configurations of

neutral atoms, and fundamental physical constants of interest to laser scientists and
engineers.
Because lasers now cover such a large wavelength range and because researchers in
various fields are accustomed to using different units, there is also a conversion table for
spectroscopists (a Rosetta stone) on the inside back cover.
Finally, I wish to acknowledge the valuable assistance of the Advisory Board who
reviewed the material, made suggestions regarding the contents and formats, and in several
cases contributed material (the Board, however, is not responsible for the accuracy or
thoroughness of the tabulations). Others who have been helpful include Guiuseppe
Baldacchini, Eric Bründermann, Federico Capasso, Tao-Yuan Chang, Henry Freund, Claire
Gmachl, Victor Granatstein, Eugene Haller, John Harreld, Stephen Harris, Thomas
Hasenberg, Alan Heeger, Heonsu Jeon, Roger Macfarlane, George Miley, Linn Mollenauer,
Michael Mumma, James Murray, Dale Partin, Maria Petra, Richard Powell, David Sliney,
Jin-Joo Song, Andrew Stentz, Roger Stolen, and Riccardo Zucca. I am especially grateful to
Project Editor Mimi Williams for her skill and help during the preparation of this volume.
Marvin J. Weber
Danville, California
©2001 CRC Press LLC
General Reading
Bertolotti, M., Masers and Lasers: An Historical Approach, Hilger, Bristol (1983).
Davis, C. C., Lasers and Electro-Optics: Fundamentals and Engineering, Cambridge
University Press, New York (1996).
Hecht, J., The Laser Guidebook (second edition), McGraw-Hill, New York (1992).
Hecht, J., Understanding Lasers (second edition), IEEE Press, New York (1994).
Hitz, C. B., Ewing, J. J. and Hecht, J., Understanding Laser Technology, IEEE Press,
Piscataway, NJ (2000).
Meyers, R. A., Ed., Encyclopedia of Lasers and Optical Technology, Academic Press,
San Diego (1991).
Milonni, P. W. and Eberly, J. H., Lasers, Wiley, New York (1988).
O'Shea, D. C., Callen, W. R. and Rhodes, W. T., Introduction to Lasers and Their

Applications, Addison Wesley, Reading, MA (1977).
Siegman, A. E., Lasers, University Science, Mill Valley, CA (1986).
Silfvast, W. T., Ed., Selected Papers on Fundamentals of Lasers, SPIE Milestone Series,
Vol. MS 70, SPIE Optical Engineering Press, Bellingham, WA (1993).
Silfvast, W. T., Laser Fundamentals, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (1996).
Svelto, O., Principles of Lasers, Plenum, New York (1998).
Townes, C. H., How the Laser Happened: Adventures of a Scientist, Oxford University
Press, New York (1999).
Verdeyen, J. T., Laser Electronics, 2nd edition, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ
(1989).
Yariv, A., Quantum Electronics, John Wiley & Sons, New York (1989).
©2001 CRC Press LLC
The Author
Marvin John Weber received his education at the University of California, Berkeley,
and was awarded the A.B., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees in physics. After graduation, Dr.
Weber continued as a postdoctoral Research Associate and then joined the Research Division
of the Raytheon Company where he was a Principal Scientist working in the areas of
spectroscopy and quantum electronics. As Manager of Solid State Lasers, his group
developed many new laser materials including rare-earth-doped yttrium orthoaluminate.
While at Raytheon, he also discovered luminescence in bismuth germanate, a scintillator
crystal widely used for the detection of high energy particles and radiation.
During 1966 to 1967, Dr. Weber was a Visiting Research Associate with Professor
Arthur Schawlow's group in the Department of Physics, Stanford University.
In 1973, Dr. Weber joined the Laser Program at the Lawrence Livermore National
Laboratory. As Head of Basic Materials Research and Assistant Program Leader, he was
responsible for the physics and characterization of optical materials for high-power laser
systems used in inertial confinement fusion research. From 1983 to 1985, he accepted a
transfer assignment with the Office of Basic Energy Sciences of the U.S. Department of
Energy in Washington, DC, where he was involved with planning for advanced synchrotron
radiation facilities and for atomistic computer simulations of materials. Dr. Weber returned

to the Chemistry and Materials Science Department at LLNL in 1986 and served as
Associate Division Leader for condensed matter research and as spokesperson for the
University of California/National Laboratories research facilities at the Stanford Synchrotron
Radiation Laboratory. He retired from LLNL in 1993 and is presently a scientist in the
Center for Functional Imaging of the Life Sciences Division at the Lawrence Berkeley
National Laboratory.
Dr. Weber is Editor-in-Chief of the multi-volume CRC Handbook Series of Laser
Science and Technology. He has also served as Regional Editor for the Journal of Non-
Crystalline Solids, as Associate Editor for the Journal of Luminescence and the Journal of
Optical Materials, and as a member of the International Editorial Advisory Boards of the
Russian journals Fizika i Khimiya Stekla (Glass Physics and Chemistry) and Kvantovaya
Elektronika (Quantum Electronics).
Among several honors he has received are an Industrial Research IR-100 Award for
research and development of fluorophosphate laser glass, the George W. Morey Award of the
American Ceramics Society for his basic studies of fluorescence, stimulated emission and the
atomic structure of glass, and the International Conference on Luminescence Prize for his
research on the dynamic processes affecting luminescence efficiency and the application of this
knowledge to laser and scintillator materials.
Dr. Weber is a Fellow of the American Physical Society, the Optical Society of America,
and the American Ceramics Society and has been a member of the Materials Research
Society and the American Association for Crystal Growth.
©2001 CRC Press LLC
Advisory Board
Connie Chang-Hasnain, Ph.D.
Electrical Engineering/Computer Sciences
University of California
Berkeley, California
Joseph Nilsen, Ph.D.
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Livermore, California

William B. Colson, Ph.D.
Physics Department
Naval Postgraduate School
Monterey, California
Stephen Payne, Ph.D.
Laser Program
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Livermore, California
Christopher C. Davis, Ph.D.
Electrical Engineering Department
University of Maryland
College Park, Maryland
Clifford R. Pollock, Ph.D.
School of Electrical Engineering
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York
Bruce Dunn, Ph.D.
Materials Science and Engineering
University of California
Los Angeles, California
Anthony E. Siegman, Ph.D.
Department of Electrical Engineering
Stanford University
Stanford, California
J. Gary Eden, Ph.D.
Electrical and Computer Engineering
University of Illinois
Urbana, Illinois
Dr. William T. Silfvast
Center for Research and Education in

Optics and Lasers
Orlando, Florida
David J. E. Knight, Ph.D.
DK Research
Twickenham, Middlesex, England
(formerly of National Physical Laboratory)
Richard N. Steppel, Ph.D.
Exciton, Inc.
Dayton, Ohio
William F. Krupke, Ph.D.
Laser Program
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Livermore, California
Anne C. Tropper, Ph.D.
Optoelectronic Research Centre
University of Southhampton
Highfield, Southhampton, England
©2001 CRC Press LLC
Contributors
William L. Austin
Lite Cycles, Inc.
Tucson, Arizona
Guiuseppe Baldacchini
ENEA - Frascati Research Center
Roma, Italy
Tasoltan T. Basiev
General Physics Institute
Moscow, Russia
William B. Bridges
Electrical Engineering and Applied Physics

California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, California
John T. Broad
Informed Access Systems, Inc.
Boulder, Colorado
(formerly of the Joint Institute of
Laboratory Astrophysics)
Eric Bründermann
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Berkeley, California
John A. Caird
Laser Program
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Livermore California
Tao-Yuan Chang
AT&T Bell Laboratories
Holmdel, New Jersey
Connie Chang-Hasnain
Electrical Engineering/Computer Sciences
University of California
Berkeley, California
Stephen R. Chinn
Optical Information Systems, Inc.
Elmsford, New York
Paul D. Coleman
Department of Electrical Engineering
University of Illinois
Urbana, Illinois
William B. Colson
Department of Physics

Naval Postgraduate School
Monterey, California
Christopher C. Davis
Depatment of Electrical Engineering
University of Maryland
College Park, Maryland
Robert S. Davis
Department of Physics
University of Illinois at Chicago Circle
Chicago, Illinois
Bruce Dunn
Materials Science and Engineering
University of California
Los Angeles, California
J. Gary Eden
Department of Electrical Engineering/Physics
University of Illinois
Urbana, Illinois
Raymond C. Elton
Naval Research Laboratory
Washington, DC
Michael Ettenberg
RCA David Sarnoff Research Center
Princeton, New Jersey
Henry Freund
Science Applications International Corp.
McLean, Virginia
Claire Gmachl
Lucent Technologies
Murray Hill, New Jersey

Julius Goldhar
Department of Electrical Engineering
University of Maryland
College Park, Maryland
Victor L. Granatstein
Naval Research Laboratory
Washington, DC
©2001 CRC Press LLC
Douglas W. Hall
Corning Inc.
Corning, New York
John Harreld
Materials Science and Engineering
University of California
Los Angeles, California
Thomas C. Hasenberg
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa
Alexander A. Kaminskii
Institute of Crystallography
USSR Academy of Sciences
Moscow, Russia
David A. King
Ginzton Laboratory
Stanford University
Stanford, California
David J. E. Knight
DK Research
Twickenham, Middlesex, England
(formerly of National Physical Laboratory)

Henry Kressel
RCA David Sarnoff Research Center
Princeton, New Jersey
Stephen Krog
Joint Institute of Laboratory Astrophysics
Boulder, Colorado
William F. Krupke
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Livermore, California
Chinlon Lin
AT&T Bell Laboratories and
Bell Communications Research
Holmdel, New Jersey
Roger M. Macfarlane
IBM Almaden Labortory
San Jose, California
Brian J. MacGowan
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Livermore, California
Dennis L. Matthews
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Livermore, California
David A. McArthur
Sandia National Laboratory
Albuquerque, New Mexico
George Miley
Department of Nuclear Engineering
University of Illinois
Urbana, Illinois
Linn F. Mollenauer

AT&T Bell Laboratories
Holmdel, New Jersey
James M. Moran
Radio and Geoastronomy Division
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Peter F. Moulton
MIT Lincoln Laboratory
Lexington, Massachusetts
James T. Murray
Lite Cycles, Inc.
Tucson, Arizona
Joseph Nilsen
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Livermore, California
Robert K. Parker
Naval Research Laboratory
Washington, DC
Dale Partin
Department of Physics
General Motors,
Warren, Michigan
Stephen Payne
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Livermore, California
©2001 CRC Press LLC
Alan B. Peterson
Spectra Physics, Inc.
Mountain View, California
Maria Petra

Department of Nuclear Engineering
University of Illinois
Urbana, Illinois
Clifford R. Pollock
School of Electrical Engineering
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York
Richard C. Powell
Optical Sciences Center
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
Donald Prosnitz
Laser Program
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Livermore, California
Charles K. Rhodes
Department of Physics
University of Illinois at Chicago Circle
Chicago, Illinois
Harold Samelson
Allied-Signal, Inc.
Morristown, New Jersey
Anthony E. Siegman
Department of Electrical Engineering
Stanford University
Stanford, California
William T. Silfvast
Center for Research and Education in
Optics and Lasers
University of Central Florida

Orlando, Florida
David H. Sliney
U.S. Army Environmental Hygiene Agency
Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland
Jin-Joo Song
Center for Laser Research
Oklahoma State University
Stillwater, Oklahoma
Phillip A. Sprangle
Naval Research Laboratory
Washington, DC
Andrew Stentz
Lucent Technologies
Murray Hill, New Jersey
Richard N. Steppel
Exciton, Inc.
Dayton, Ohio
Stanley E. Stokowski
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Livermore California
Rogers H. Stolen
AT&T Bell Laboratories
Holmdel, New Jersey
Henryk Temkin
AT&T Bell Laboratories
Murray Hill, New Jersey
Anne C. Tropper
Optoelectronic Research Centre
University of Southhampton
Highfield, Southhampton, England

Riccardo Zucca
Rockwell International Science Center
Thousand Oaks, California
©2001 CRC Press LLC
Contents of previous volumes on lasers from the
CRC HANDBOOK OF LASER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
VOLUME I: LASERS AND MASERS
FOREWORD — Charles H. Townes
SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Types and Comparisons of Laser Sources — William F. Krupke
SECTION 2: SOLID STATE LASERS
2.1 Crystalline Lasers
2.1.1 Paramagnetic Ion Lasers — Peter F. Moulton
2.1.2 Stoichiometric Lasers — Stephen R. Chinn
2.1.3 Color Center Lasers — Linn F. Mollenauer
2.2 Semiconductor Lasers — Henry Kressel and Michael Ettenberg
2.3 Glass Lasers — Stanley E. Stokowski
2.4 Fiber Raman Lasers — Rogers H. Stolen and Chinlon Lin
2.5 Table of Wavelengths of Solid State Lasers
SECTION 3: LIQUID LASERS
3.1 Organic Dye Lasers — Richard Steppel
3.2 Inorganic Liquid Lasers
3.2.1 Rare Earth Chelate Lasers — Harold Samelson
3.2.2 Aprotic Liquid Lasers — Harold Samelson
SECTION 4: OTHER LASERS
4.1 Free Electron Lasers
4.1.I Infrared and Visible Lasers — Donald Prosnitz
4.1.2 Millimeter and Submillimeter Lasers — Victor L. Granatstein,
Robert K. Parker, and Phillip A. Sprangle
4.2 X-Ray Lasers — Raymond C. Elton

SECTION 5: MASERS
5.1 Masers — Adrian E. Popa
5.2 Maser Action in Nature — James M. Moran
SECTION 6: LASER SAFETY
6.1 Optical Radiation Hazards — David H. Sliney
6.2 Electrical Hazards from Laser Power Supplies — James K. Franks
6.3 Hazards from Associated Agents — Robin DeVore
©2001 CRC Press LLC
VOLUME II: GAS LASERS
SECTION 1: NEUTRAL GAS LASERS — Christopher C. Davis
SECTION 2: IONIZED GAS LASERS — William B. Bridges
SECTION 3: MOLECULAR GAS LASERS
3.1 Electronic Transition Lasers — Charles K. Rhodes and Robert S. Davis
3.2 Vibrational Transition Lasers — Tao-Yaun Chang
3.3 Far Infrared Lasers — Paul D. Coleman and David J. E. Knight
SECTION 4: TABLE OF LASER WAVELENGTHS — Marvin J. Weber
SUPPLEMENT 1: LASERS
SECTION 1: SOLID STATE LASERS
1.1 Crystalline Paramagnetic Ion Lasers — John A. Caird and Stephen A. Payne
1.2 Color Center Lasers — Linn F. Mollenauer
1.3 Semiconductor Lasers — Michael Ettenberg and Henryk Temkin
1.4 Glass Lasers — Douglas W. Hall and Marvin J. Weber
1.5 Solid State Dye Lasers — Marvin J. Weber
1.6 Fiber Raman Lasers — Rogers H. Stolen and Chinlon Lin
1.7 Table of Wavelengths of Solid State Lasers — Farolene Camacho
SECTION 2: LIQUID LASERS
2.1 Organic Dye Lasers — Richard N. Steppel
2.2 Liquid Inorganic Lasers — Harold Samelson
SECTION 3: GAS LASERS
3.1 Neutral Gas Lasers — Julius Goldhar

3.2 Ionized Gas Lasers — Alan B. Petersen
3.3.1 Electronic Transition Lasers — J. Gary Eden
3.3.2 Vibrational Transition Lasers — Tao-Yuan Chang
3.3.3 Far-Infrared CW Gas Lasers — David J. E. Knight
3.4 Table of Wavelengths of Gas Lasers — Farolene Camacho
SECTION 4: OTHER LASERS
4.1 Free-Electron Lasers — William B. Colson and Donald Prosnitz
4.2 Photoionization-Pumped Short Wavelength Lasers — David King
4.3 X-Ray Lasers — Dennis L. Matthews
4.4 Table of Wavelengths of X-Ray Lasers
4.5 Gamma-Ray Lasers — Carl B. Collins
SECTION 5: MASERS
5.1 Masers — Adrian E. Popa
5.2 Maser Action in Nature — James M. Moran
©2001 CRC Press LLC
HANDBOOK OF LASER WAVELENGTHS
Marvin J. Weber
FOREWORD — Arthur L. Schawlow
PREFACE
SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION
SECTION 2: SOLID STATE LASERS
2.1 Crystalline Paramagnetic Ion Lasers
2.2 Glass Lasers
2.3 Solid State Dye Lasers
2.4 Color Center Lasers
2.5 Semiconductor Lasers
2.6 Polymer Lasers
SECTION 3: LIQUID LASERS
3.1 Organic Dye Lasers
3.2 Rare Earth Liquid Lasers

SECTION 4: GAS LASERS
4.1 Neutral Atom, Ionized, and Molecular Gas Lasers
4.2 Optically Pumped Far Infrared and Millimeter Wave Lasers
4.3 References
SECTION 5: OTHER LASERS
5.1 Extreme Ultraviolet and Soft X-Ray Lasers
5.2 Free Electron Lasers
5.3 Nuclear Pumped Lasers
5.4 Natural Lasers
5.5 Inversionless Lasers
SECTION 6: COMMERCIAL LASERS
6.1 Solid State Lasers
6.2 Semiconductor Lasers
6.3 Dye Lasers
6.4 Gas Lasers
APPENDICES
Appendix 1 Abbreviations, Acronyms, Initialisms, and Common Names
for Types and Structures of Lasers and Amplifiers
Appendix 2 Abbreviations, Acronyms, Initialisms, and Mineralogical
or Common Names for Solid-State Laser Materials
Appendix 3 Fundamental Constants
©2001 CRC Press LLC
HANDBOOK OF LASERS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PREFACE
SECTION 1: SOLID STATE LASERS
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Crystalline Paramagnetic Ion Lasers
1.1.1 Introduction
1.1.2 Host Crystals Used for Transition Metal Laser Ions

1.1.3 Host Crystals Used for Lanthanide Laser Ions
1.1.4 Tables of Transition Metal Ion Lasers
1.1.5 Tables of Divalent Lanthanide Ion Lasers
1.1.6 Tables of Trivalent Lanthanide Ion Lasers
1.1.7 Actinide Ion Lasers
1.1.8 Other Ions Exhibiting Gain
1.1.9 Self-Frequency-Doubled Lasers
1.1.10 Commercial Transition Metal Ion Lasers
1.1.11 Commercial Lanthanide Ion Lasers
1.1.12 References
1.2 Glass Lasers
1.2.1 Introduction
1.2.2 Tables of Glass Lasers
1.2.3 Glass Amplifiers
1.2.4. Commercial Glass Lasers
1.2.5. References
1.3 Solid State Dye Lasers
1.3.1. Introduction
1.3.2. Dye Doped Organic Lasers
1.3.3. Silica and Silica Gel Dye Lasers
1.3.4. Dye Doped Inorganic Crystal Lasers
1.3.5. Dye Doped Glass Lasers
1.3.6. Dye Doped Gelatin Lasers
1.3.7. Dye Doped Biological Lasers
1.3.8. Commercial Solid State Dye Lasers
1.3.9. References
1.4 Color Center Lasers
1.4.1 Introduction
1.4.2 Crystals and Centers Used for Color Center Lasers
1.4.3 Table of Color Center Lasers

1.4.4 Commercial Color Center Lasers
1.4.5 References
©2001 CRC Press LLC
1.5 Semiconductor Lasers
1.5.1 Introduction
1.5.2 II-VI Compound Lasers
1.5.3 Mercury II-VI Compound Lasers
1.5.4 III-V Compound Lasers
1.5.5 III-V Compound Antimonide Lasers
1.5.6 Nitride Lasers
1.5.7 Lead IV-VI Compound Lasers
1.5.8 Germanium-Silicon Intervalence Band Lasers
1.5.9 Other Semiconductor Lasers
1.5.10 Quantum Cascade and Intersubband Lasers
1.5.11 Vertical Cavity Lasers
1.5.12 Commercial Semiconductor Lasers
1.5.13 References
1.6 Polymer Lasers
1.6.1 Introduction
1.6.2 Pure Polymer Lasers
1.6.3 Dye Doped Polymer Lasers
1.6.4 Rare Earth Doped Polymer Lasers
1.7 Solid State Excimer Lasers
1.8 Raman, Brillouin, and Soliton Lasers
1.8.1 Introduction
1.8.2 Crystalline Raman Lasers
1.8.3 Fiber Raman Lasers and Amplifiers
1.8.4 Fiber Soliton Lasers
1.8.5 Fiber Brillouin Lasers
1.8.6 References

SECTION 2: LIQUID LASERS
2.1 Liquid Organic Dye Lasers
2.1.1 Introduction
2.1.2 Chemical Nomenclature
2.1.3 Tables of Liquid Organic Dye Lasers
2.1.4 Commercial Dye Lasers
2.1.5 Dye Laser Tuning Curves
2.1.6 References
2.2 Rare Earth Liquid Lasers
2.2.1 Introduction
2.2.2 Chelate Liquid Lasers
2.2.2 Aprotic Liquid Lasers
2.3 Liquid Polymer Lasers
2.4 Liquid Excimer Lasers
©2001 CRC Press LLC
SECTION 3: GAS LASERS
3.0 Introduction
3.1 Neutral Atom Gas Lasers
3.1.1 Introduction
3.1.2 Tables of Neutral Atom Gas Lasers
3.2 Ionized Gas Lasers
3.2.1 Introduction
3.2.2 Energy Level Diagrams for Ionized Gas Lasers
3.2.3 Tables of Ionized Gas Lasers
3.3 Molecular Gas Lasers
3.3.1 Electronic Transition Lasers
3.3.2 Vibrational Transition Lasers
3.4 Far Infrared and Millimeter Wave Gas Lasers
3.4.1 Introduction
3.4.2 Tables of Atomic Far Infrared Gas Lasers

3.4.3 Tables of Molecular Far Infrared and Millimeter Wave Gas Lasers
3.5. Commercial Gas Lasers
3.6 Comments
3.7 References
SECTION 4: OTHER LASERS
4.1 Extreme Ultraviolet and Soft X-Ray Lasers
4.1.1 Introduction
4.1.2 Lasing Transitions of H-like Ions
4.1.3 Lasing Transitions of Li-like Ions
4.1.4 Lasing Transitions of Be-like Ions
4.1.5 Lasing Transitions of Ne-like Ions
4.1.6 Lasing Transitions of Co-like Ions
4.1.7 Lasing Transitions of Ni-like Ions
4.1.8 Lasing Transitions of Pd-like Ions
4.1.9 References
4.2 Free Electron Lasers
4.2.1 Introduction
4.2.2 Short Wavelength Free Electron Lasers
4.2.3 Long Wavelength Free Electron Lasers
4.3 Nuclear Pumped Lasers
4.3.1 Introduction
4.3.2 Reactor Pumped Lasers
4.3.3 Nuclear Device Pumped Lasers
4.3.4 References
4.4 Natural Lasers
4.5 Inversionless Lasers
4.6 Amplification of Core-Valence Luminescence
©2001 CRC Press LLC
APPENDICES
Appendix I Laser Safety

Appendix II Acronyms, Abbreviations, Initialisms, and Common Names for
Types of Lasers, Laser Materials, Laser Structures and Operating
Configurations, and Systems Involving Lasers
Appendix III Electron Configurations of Neutral Atoms in the Ground State
Appendix IV Fundamental Constants

©2001 CRC Press LLC
Section 1: Solid State Lasers
1.1 Crystalline Paramagnetic Ion Lasers
1.2 Glass Lasers
1.3 Solid State Dye Lasers
1.4 Color Center Lasers
1.5 Semiconductor Lasers
1.6 Polymer Lasers
1.7 Solid State Excimer Lasers
1.8 Raman, Brillouin, and Soliton Lasers
©2001 CRC Press LLC
Section 1
SOLID STATE LASERS
1.0 Introduction
Solid state lasers include lasers based on paramagnetic ions, organic dye molecules, and
color centers in crystalline or amorphous hosts. Semiconductor lasers are included in this
section because they are a solid state device, although the nature of the active center—
recombination of electrons and holes—is different from the dopants or defect centers used in
other lasers in this category. Conjugated polymer lasers, solid-state excimer lasers, and fiber
Raman, Brillouin, and soliton lasers are also covered in this section.
Reported ranges of output wavelengths for the various types of solid state lasers are
shown in Figure 1.1. The differences in the ranges of spectral coverage arise in part from the
dependence on host properties, in particular the range of transparency and the rate of non-
radiative decay due to multiphonon processes.

0.1 1.0 10 100
Wavelength (
µ m)
Paramagnetic ions (crystal)
Paramagnetic ions (glass)
Organic dyes
Color centers
Semiconductors
0.17
µm
7.2
µm
4.0
µm
0.38
µm
0.87 µm
0.36 µm 5.0 µm
0.33 µm 360 µ
m
0.38 µm
Figure 1.1 Reported ranges of output wavelengths for various types of solid state lasers.
Further Reading
Cheo, P. K., Ed., Handbook of Solid-State Lasers, Marcel Dekker Inc., New York (1989).
Koechner, W., Solid-State Laser Engineering (fourth edition), Springer Verlag, Berlin
(1996).
Powell, R. C., Physics of Solid State Laser Materials, Springer-Verlag, Berlin (1997).
Powell, R. C., Ed., Selected Papers on Solid State Lasers, SPIE Milestone Series,
Vol. MS31, SPIE Optical Engineering Press, Bellingham, WA (1991).
©2001 CRC Press LLC

See, also, Tunable Solid-State Lasers, Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics 1 (1995),
Diode-Pumped Solid-State Lasers, Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics 3(1) (February
1997), and the following proceedings of the Advanced Solid State Laser Conferences, all
published by the Optical Society of America, Washington, DC:
OSA Trends in Optics and Photonics: Advanced Solid State Lasers, Vol. 26, Fejer,
M. M., Injeyan, H. and Keller, Ursula, Eds. (1999).
OSA Trends in Optics and Photonics: Advanced Solid State Lasers, Vol. 19,
Bosenberg, W. R. and Fejer, M. M., Eds. (1998).
OSA Trends in Optics and Photonics: DPSS Lasers: Applications and Issues, Vol.
17, Dowley, M. W., Ed. (1998).
OSA Trends in Optics and Photonics: Advanced Solid State Lasers, Vol. 10, Pollack,
C. R. and Bosenberg, W. R., Eds. (1997).
OSA Trends in Optics and Photonics: Advanced Solid State Lasers, Vol. 1, Payne,
S. A. and Pollack, C. R., Eds. (1996).
Chai, B. H. T. and Payne, S. A., Eds., Proceedings Vol. 24 (1995).
Fan, T. Y. and Chai, B., Eds., Proceedings Vol. 20 (1994).
Pinto, A. A. and Fan, T. Y., Eds., Proceedings Vol. 15 (1993).
Chase, L. L. and Pinto, A. A., Eds., Proceedings Vol. 13 (1992).
Dubé, G. and Chase, L. L, Eds., Proceedings Vol. 10 (1991).
Jenssen, H. P. and Dubé, G., Eds., Proceedings Vol. 6 (1990).
©2001 CRC Press LLC
Section 1.1
CRYSTALLINE PARAMAGNETIC ION LASERS
1.1.1 Introduction
The elements that have been reported to exhibit laser action as paramagnetic ions
(incompletely filled electron shells) in crystalline hosts are indicated in the periodic table of
the elements in Figure 1.1.1. These are mainly transition metal and lanthanide group ions
and generally involve intraconfigurational transitions. Typical concentrations of the lasing
ion are ≤1%; however, for some hosts and ions concentrations up to 100%, so-called
stoichiometric lasers, are possible. Also included in italics in Figure 1.1.1 are several ions

for which only gain has been reported (see Section 1.1.8).
Energy level diagrams and lasing transitions for iron group ions are shown in Figures
1.1.2 and 1.1.3, for divalent lanthanide and trivalent actinide ions in Figure 1.1.4, and for
trivalent lanthanides in Figures 1.1.5–1.1.9. The properties of lasers comprising these ions
are listed in Sections 1.1.4–1.1.6.
The general operating wavelengths of crystalline lanthanide-ion lasers are given in Figure
1.1.10 and range from 0.17 mm for the 5d→4f transition of Nd
3+
to 7.2 µm for the 4f→4f
transition between J states of Pr
3+
. Whereas f→f transitions of the lanthanide ions have
narrow linewidths and discrete wavelengths, d→f transitions of these ions and transitions of
many iron group ions have broad emission and gain bandwidths and hence provide a degree
of tunability. The tuning ranges of several paramagnetic laser ions in different hosts are
shown in Figure 1.1.11; the ranges for explicit host crystals are included in the laser tables.
Tunable lasers are based almost exclusively on vibronic transitions of iron transition group
elements.
Figure 1.1.1 Periodic table of the elements showing the elements (shaded) that have been
reported to exhibit laser action as paramagnetic ions in crystalline hosts. Gain has been reported
for elements shown in italics.
©2001 CRC Press LLC
Figure 1.1.2 Energy levels and laser transitions of crystalline titanium, vanadium, and chromium
ion lasers. The two energy level schemes for trivalent chromium correspond to chromium ions in
different crystal field environments. Dashed levels are associated with laser transitions
terminating on vibronic levels.
Figure 1.1.3 Energy levels and laser transitions of crystalline manganese, iron, cobalt, and nickel
ion lasers. The two energy level schemes for divalent nickel correspond to nickel ions in different
crystal field environments. Dashed levels are associated with laser transitions terminating on
vibronic levels.

©2001 CRC Press LLC
Figure 1.1.4 Energy levels and laser transitions of crystalline divalent lanthanide and actinide
ion lasers. The two energy level schemes for divalent samarium correspond to samarium ions in
different crystal field environments.
Figure 1.1.5 Energy levels, laser transitions, and wavelengths (microns) of crystalline cerium
and praseodymium ion lasers.