Tailoring stimulated emission cross sections of Nd3+ laser glass: Observation of large cross sections for BiCl3 glasses

The stimulated emission cross sections of rare-earth transitions depend strongly on the host. The properties that influence the cross sections—line strength, linewidth, and refractive index—are reviewed, and rules for tailoring cross sections are discussed. To illustrate the application of these rules, the largest stimulated emission cross section for the 4F3/2→4I11/2 transition of Nd3+ observed for any oxide or halide glass was obtained for a new class of bismuth-chloride-based glasses. Spectroscopic and physical properties and laser parameters of these and other halide glasses are presented.