Middle infrared (mid-IR) chromium-doped zinc selenide (Cr:ZnSe) bulk lasers have attracted a lot of attention due to their unique combination of available pump sources (1400-2200nm,Er-fiber, Tm fiber, telecom or InP diodes, Er:YAG/YLF; Tm: YAG/YLF), technological (low cost ceramic material), optical and spectroscopic characteristics (ultrbroadband gain bandwidth, high absorption coefficients) make them the gain materials of choice when one needs a compact system with continuous tunability at 300 K over 1.9-3.3 μm, output powers up to 13 W, and high (up to 70%) conversion efficiency.

Cr:ZnSe lasers are promising for spectroscopy, sensing, medical and defense related applications, as well as for pumping middle-infrared optical parametric oscillators:

As a gain material in compact laser systems;
As passive Q-switch for 1450-2100 nm lasers;
Source for pumping middle infrared (MIR) optical parametric oscillators (OPO);
Infrared (IR) missile countermeasure systems (ship and aircraft based);
Free space communications;
Gas tracing and analysis;
Chemical warfare detection;
Non-invasive medical diagnostics;
Medical surgeries;
Cavity ring down (CRD) spectroscopy.