Large Laser Crystal Could Serve as Active Medium for Lidar

A colquirite crystal grown over a three-year period by a team of Kazan University physicists could be used with lidar to detect polluting compounds in the Siberian atmosphere and measure their concentration more precisely. Tests showed that the crystal can generate laser pulses of 780 nm at 0.5 J. In addition to atmospheric research, the wavelength of the crystal could also be used in medicine and industrial production.

Fluoride crystal team leader Alexander Naumov said that the colquirite crystal project took three years. Courtesy of Kazan Federal University.

The team will be working on widening wavelengths in the 750 to 900-nm range. According to researchers, if shorter impulse radiation is achieved, the crystal could be used to enhance surface treatment.

Professor Alexander Naumov said that lamp-pumped lasers are popular because of their efficiency and low cost. Colquirite crystals can also work with diode pumping, used in quantum electronics.