XeF excimer pumping of Nd : P5O14

We report the first excimer (XeF) pumping of Nd3+ in a pentaphosphate (Nd : P5O14) host. Absorption of the XeF laser output of 3530 Å by the Nd3+ transition (4I9/2→4D3/2) results in laser output at the 1.05-μ transition (4F3/2→4I11/2). Pumped in an oscillator configuration, threshold energy was only ≃3 mJ while slope efficiency was ≃1%. Temporal output consists of a single pulse of duration (FWHM) ≃6.6 ns; it arises due to the combination of short pump pulse (≃24 ns FWHM) and high gain of the pentaphosphate output. The device is expected to find considerable application in producing short (1–10 ns) pulses without the complication of a Q switch required in conventional flashlamp-pumped lasers.