Reabsorption trapping of luminescence in laser crystals: enhancement of energy storage and upconversion.

It is shown that reabsorption of luminescence in laser crystals can enhance energy storage, energy transfer, and upconversion in solid-state laser media. These effects, experimentally observed in Yb-doped and Er-doped crystals, can potentially decrease the threshold for compact cw pumped lasers. The influence of parasitic laser modes and the amplification of spontaneous emission on population inversion in reflective coated laser elements is discussed.