Gain Medium

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Gain Medium

Examples of active laser media include:

certain Crystal s, typically doped with some Rare-earth Ion s (e.g. of Neodymium , Ytterbium , or Erbium ) or Transition Metal ions (e.g. of Titanium or Chromium ), most often Yttrium Aluminium Garnet (YAG), Yttrium Orthovanadate (YVO4), Sapphire , or Lithium Niobate

Glass es, e.g. silicate or phosphate glasses, also doped with some laser-active ions

Gas es, e.g. mixtures of Helium and Neon , Nitrogen , Argon , Carbon Monoxide , Carbon Dioxide , or metal vapors

Semiconductor s, e.g. Gallium Arsenide (GaAs), Indium Gallium Arsenide (InGaAs), or Gallium Nitride (GaN)

liquid solutions of certain Dye s (see Dye Laser )

a beam of Electron s (see Free Electron Laser )

Pumping Of Gain Media (i.e., the supply of energy) can be achieved with electrical currents (e.g. in semiconductors, or in gases via High-voltage Discharges ) or with light, which may be generated with Discharge Lamp s or with other lasers (very often Semiconductor Laser s, see DPSS Laser ). More exotic gain media can be pumped by chemical reactions (see Chemical Laser ), Nuclear Fission (see Nuclear Pumped Laser ), or with high-energy Electron Beam s.

SEE ALSO

Laser Construction , Laser Science , List Of Lasers

EXTERNAL LINKS

Encyclopedia of laser physics and technology (with more details)