Lasing characteristics and growth of CdS epitaxial thin-films excited by second harmonic Nd: YAG laser radiation at 473 nm

The first experimental study on CdS epitaxial thin-film lasers with ZnS substrates is reported. For the first time single crystal layers of CdS have been grown on the (111) faces of ZnS substrate by the hydrogen transport method. Laser emission at 491.8 nm has been observed from these layers cooled near liquid-nitrogen temperature. Optical pumping is performed by the second harmonic of a Q-switched Nd: YAG laser operated at 473 nm, the energy of which exceeds slightly the band-gap energy of the cooled epitaxial CdS layer. The measured optical gain for these CdS thin-films compared with that for platelet CdS single crystals reveals that the optical confinement inside the epitaxial layer increases the optical gain by a factor of about two.