Lanthanum scandoborate as a new highly efficient active medium of solid-state lasers

The properties of lanthanum scandoborate activated with chromium and neodymium ions, representing a new active material, were investigated for the first time. The high activator concentrations (up to 100% of neodymium with hardly any concentration quenching of the luminescence), the large cross section of the lasing transition, and the efficient sensitization in combination with a high optical quality of the new crystal ensured a high efficiency of lasing of the neodymium activator. Several comparative lasing tests showed that lanthanum scandoborate was twice and six times as efficient as yttrium scandium gallium and yttrium aluminum garnets, respectively.