Tailoring stimulated emission cross sections of Nd³⁺ laser glass: Observation of large cross sections for BiCl₃ glasses

The stimulated emission cross sections of rare-earth transitions depend strongly on the host. The properties that influence the cross sections - line strength, linewidth, and refractive index - are reviewed, and rules for tailoring cross sections are discussed. To illustrate the application of these rules, the largest stimulated emission cross section for the ⁴F _3/2→⁴I_11/2 transition of Nd³⁺ observed for any oxide or halide glass was obtained for a new class of bismuth-chloride-based glasses. Spectroscopic and physical properties and laser parameters of these and other halide glasses are presented.