Repetitively pulsed Fe: ZnSe laser with an average output power of 20 W at room temperature of the polycrystalline active element

The energy and spectral-temporal characteristics of a Fe : ZnSe laser operating in pulsed and repetitively pulsed regimes are studied at room temperature of the polycrystalline active element. The crystal was pumped by a nonchain electric-discharge HF laser. The energy of the Fe : ZnSe laser in a single-pulse regime was 1.67 J at the slope efficiency with respect to the absorbed and incident energy of ∼43% and ∼27%, respectively. In a repetitively pulsed regime with a pulse repetition rate of 20 Hz and an efficiency with respect to the absorbed power of ∼40%, the average laser power was ∼20 W with an individual pulse energy of ∼1 J. The possibility of increasing the average power of the repetitively pulsed Fe : ZnSe laser at room temperature is discussed.