When using a nuclear-optical converter (NOC) to pump NPLs, immediate excita­tion of the laser medium is done using a well-known method: optical pumping. In this case, the kinetic energy of the nuclear radiation is initially converted by the NOC into light (luminescent) emission. (Sometimes NOCs are called “nuclear” lamps). The possibility of using NOCs for laser pumping was apparently examined for the first time in a U. S. patent [38] where various crystal and plastic scintillators and liquid and gas luminescent media were proposed as NOCs, and dielectric
materials doped with neodymium and chromium and other condensed and gas laser media known at that time were proposed as laser elements.