Powerful, room-temperature stable LiF:F-2(+)** tunable laser

A powerful photo- and thermostable, LiF:F-2(+**) color center laser pumped by radiation at 740 nm (alexandrite laser) or at 683 nm (Raman shifted (H-2) second harmonic of a Nd:YAG laser) is described. This is the first time an average power as high as similar to 1.4 W and an energy per pulse as high as similar to 100 mJ, with record real efficiency of 53% (683 nm pumping) and 28% (740 nm pumping) were achieved for a room temperature LiF:F-2(+**), color center laser. Such color center laser, tunable in the 820 - 1210 nm range, features a number of important advantages over pulsed lasers based on Ti or Cr doped crystals.