Room temperature Fe²⁺:Cd_1-xMn_xTe laser generating at 5.4-6  μm

Six-μm laser generation at room temperature was achieved from Fe²⁺-doped Cd_1-xMn_xTe solid-solution active media for the first time, to the best of our knowledge. Laser properties of Fe²⁺:Cd_1-xMn_xTe crystals with various concentrations of manganese Mn (x=0.1, 0.52, 0.56, 0.68, and 0.76) were investigated. The increase of Mn content in these crystals was shown to result in an almost similar long-wavelength shift of absorption, fluorescence, and laser output spectra of about ∼60  nm per each 10% of Mn. Laser generation was achieved in all crystals with maximum output energies up to 30 μJ (for x=0.52). The laser central oscillation wavelength is significantly influenced by Mn concentration and varies in the range from 5400 nm up to 6000 nm.