Main-group Metal Ions doped Materials—A New Developing Direction of Laser Materials

Main-group metal ions will be the third class of active ions,subquent to transition-metal and rare-earth ions.Main-group metal ions doped material is proved to be a new developing direction in the field of laser materials.The developments of main-group metal ions doped materials are summarized on the following topics:(1) the characteristics of the near-infrared ultrabroadband luminescence obtained in Bi-doped glasses,glass-fibers and single crystals,(2) the nature of the luminescence;and(3) laser performances of bismuth-doped fiber in various operation modes.The future research directions and applications of main-group metal ions doped laser materials are outlooked.The laser outputs in single crystal will be of milestone significance in its practical application.