Analysis of blue and red laser performance of the infrared-pumped praseodymium-doped fluoride fiber laser

Abstract

The laser performance at 491 and 635 nm of praseodymium-doped fluorozirconate fiber pumped at 1.01 μm and 835 nm is described and is interpreted with analytical solutions to the rate equations. Spectroscopic measurements of the absorption and the emission cross sections are presented, and the values are shown to be consistent with the observed lasing performance. The analytical model is shown to be a reliable indication of the optimum length of fiber for operation on the three-level 491-nm transition.