In a
laser-
diode-pumped
laser apparatus, a
solid-state
laser crystal doped with at least one rare-earth element including at least Pr3+ is pumped with a
laser diode, and emits
laser light. In the first aspect, the
laser diode has an
active layer made of one of an InGaN, InGaNAs, and GaNAs materials, and an
optical wavelength conversion element converts the
solid-state
laser light into
ultraviolet laser light by
wavelength conversion. In the second aspect, the
solid-state laser
crystal is codoped with Pr3+ and at least one of Er3+, Ho3+, Dy3+, Eu3+, Sm3+, Pm3+, and Nd3+. In the third aspect, instead of the solid-state laser
crystal, an
optical fiber codoped with Pr3+ and at least one of Er3+, Ho3+, Dy3+, Eu3+, Sm3+, Pm3+, and Nd3+ is pumped with a GaN-based compound
laser diode. In the fourth aspect, an
optical fiber codoped with Pr3+ and at least one of Er3+, Ho3+, Dy3+, Eu3+, Sm3, Pm3, and Nd3+ amplifies incident light having a
wavelength which is identical with a
wavelength of
fluorescence generated by pumping of the
optical fiber with a GaN-based compound laser
diode.