<title>Chemically stregthened Er3+, Nd3+ doped phosphate laser glasses</title>

Abstract

Significant enhancement of the thermal loading capability has been achieved with both Er<SUP>3+</SUP> and Nd<SUP>3+</SUP> doped inherently strong glasses by an ion-exchange chemical strengthening process. A free running laser with an average output power of 6.5 W and a Q-switched single mode laser with an energy of 5 mJ at a repetition rate of 15 Hz have been demonstrated at the 1.54 micrometers eye safe wavelength with strengthened QX/Er glass. An average output power of 110 W at 1.05 micrometers has been obtained employing a strengthened QX/Nd glass rod.