Patent ID: 7548571

Claim:
A laser utilizing a laser media comprising a crystal selected from the structures of MeZ and MeX 2 Z 4 , wherein Me is selected from the group consisting of Zn, Cd, Ca, Mg, Sr, Ba, Hg, and Pb; Z is selected from the group consisting of S, Se, Te, O and their mixtures: and X being selected from the group consisting of Ga, In, and Al; said crystal having a thin film layer of a transition metal on deposited on opposing faces of said crystal by a method selected from the group of pulsed laser deposition, cathode arc deposition, and plasma sputtering; wherein said crystal has undergone annealing in an oven for a period and at a temperature sufficient to allow crystal doping by transition metal diffusion and replacement in selected regions of said crystal; wherein said laser media has dichroic mirrors positioned on each face thereof, including an output mirror, and a continuous excitation source positioned to supply continuous wave excitation energy to said laser media to excite a continuous laser output.