Semiconductor laser pumping of continuous-wave Pr 3+ ‐doped ZBLAN fibre laser

Blue semiconductor laser pumped continuous‐wave laser oscillation of a Pr‐doped ZrF4‐BaF2‐LaF3‐AlF3‐NaF fibre in the red spectral range is reported for the first time. The pump power is provided by a frequency‐doubled optically pumped semiconductor laser system. When pumped with 300 mW at a wavelength of 479.7 nm, the Pr3+‐laser emitted 94 mW of output power at a wavelength of 635 nm. Threshold pump power and slope efficiency with respect to the incident pump power were determined to be 49.7 mW and 41.5%, respectively.