Recent work on the single crystal growth of laser host materials is described. The garnets Nd:YAG and Nd,Cr:GSGG remain as the most useful for 1.06pm operation. For tunable systems based on Ti3+, we have grown several garnets, YA1O3, and MgAl204 spinel. Potentially tunable systems which utilize Ceas the activator have been attempted in many perovskites and orthosilicates. The growth of a new class of laser materials based on "-alumina is also being investigated by unique methods of preparation. The principle applications of these oxide materials appears to be in diode pumped miniature lasers, solid state tunable systems, and special medical systems. Host crystals of various fluorides are described also and are useful for laser fusion oscillators or high power Nd3+ lasers.
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