红外热像仪可在全天候条件下实现目标识别，在安防、夜视辅助及红外测温系统等领域应用广泛，但红外热像仪成像质量和效果受制于ZnS红外光学镜头的品质和性能。文中采用自主研制的三温区梯度化学气相沉积（TTG-CVD）及退火热处理制备ZnS块体。采用X射线衍射表征出ZnS块体是立方闪锌矿结构，具有光学各向同性，可以满足后续在红外光学镜头中的设计需求。结合红外透过光谱获得ZnS块体在8~12 μm 长波红外波段的平均透过率达71.6%。ZnS块体在1.06 μm处的折射率均匀性为1.94×10⁻⁵。进一步采用光学冷加工和单点金刚石车削等工艺，制作出ZnS红外光学透镜和红外镜头。红外光学镜头在空间频率为20 lp/mm时，在半视场（0.5视场）和0.707视场的调制传递函数（MTF）接近衍射极限。红外成像系统在中心视场、0.707视场由像差引起的弥散斑均方根值（RMS）均小于像元尺寸20 μm，系统畸变小于1%，各项指标均达到实际使用要求。

The anisotropy of thermal property in an Yb,Nd:Sc2SiO5 crystal is investigated from the temperature of 293 to 573 K. Based on the systematical study of thermal expansion, thermal diffusivity, and specific heat, the thermal conductivity in Yb,Nd:Sc2SiO5 crystals orientated at (100), (010), (001), and (406) is calculated to be 3.46, 2.60, 3.35, and 3.68W/(m·K), respectively. The laser output anisotropy of a continuous-wave (CW) and tunable laser is characterized, accordingly. A maximum output power of 6.09 W is achieved in the Yb,Nd:Sc2SiO5 crystal with (010) direction, corresponding to a slope efficiency of 48.56%. The tuning wavelength range in the Yb,Nd:Sc2SiO5 crystal orientated at (100), (010), and (001) is 68, 67, and 65 nm, separately. The effects of thermal properties on CW laser performance are discussed.

A dual-wavelength synchronously mode-locked homogeneously broadened bulk laser operating at 1985.6 and 1989 nm is presented for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, which delivers a maximum output power of 166 mW and a repetition rate of 85 MHz. The pulse duration was measured to be 16.8 ps by assuming a sech2 pulse shape. The recorded autocorrelation trace showed frequency beating signals with an interval of 3.8 ps and a full width at half-maximum duration of 2 ps, corresponding to an ultrahigh beating frequency of about 0.26 THz, which agrees well with the frequency difference of the emitted two spectral peaks. The results indicated that such a kind of dual-wavelength mode-locked Tm:YAlO₃ laser could be potentially used for generating terahertz radiations.

In this Letter, we demonstrate the anisotropy of laser emission in disordered Nd:ScYSiO5 (Nd:SYSO) crystals cut along the optical indicatrix axes. High-powered lasers with different oscillation wavelengths and polarizations are realized by using different oriented crystals as gain media. For Y-cut crystals, the dual-wavelength laser vibration direction is found to be along the X axis and a maximum output power of 9.43 W is obtained, giving an optical-to-optical conversion efficiency of 48.8% and a slope efficiency of 51.3%. For X- and Z-cut crystals, 1075 and 1078 nm lasers operating orthogonally polarize oscillate with total output powers of 7.07 and 8.43 W, respectively. The experimental results reveal that the intrinsic anisotropy for the monoclinic disordered laser crystals could make laser design flexible and controllable.

We experimentally demonstrated a diode-pumped Kerr-lens mode-locked femtosecond laser with a Yb:CaYAlO₄ crystal as the gain medium. Pulse duration as short as 33 fs was obtained directly from the oscillator at a repetition rate of 115 MHz. The central wavelength was at 1059 nm with a spectral bandwidth of 49 nm. These are, to the best of our knowledge, the shortest pulses generated from a Yb:CaYAlO₄ oscillator.