cw double cross pumping of the 5I7–5I8 laser transition in Ho3+-doped garnets

Abstract
We obtained for the first time efficient room‐temperature cw lasing at 2.086 μm in Cr,Tm,Ho:YScAl‐garnet and Cr,Tm,Ho:YScGa‐garnet crystals. Double cross pumping via Cr3+ and Tm3+ with a krypton pump laser yields threshold pump powers of 25 mW and slope efficiencies up to 13%. Broad band pumping can also be expected.