The invention relates to a solid-state laser device (1) comprising a gain medium (10) essentially having a main phase of a solid state host material (15) which is doped with rare-earth ions. According to the invention at least a portion of the rare-earth ions are Ce3+-ions (19) with at least one 4f-state (16, 17) and at least one 5d-band (18) energetically located between the highest valence state and the lowest conduction state of the host material (15), wherein : the highest 4f-state (17) and the bottom edge of the 5d-band (18) have a first energy- level difference (?1), and - the lowest 4f-state (16) and the upper edge of the 5d-band (18) have a second energy-level difference (?2); and wherein the host material (15) is selected such that the resulting gain medium (10) has an energy range (20) devoid of unoccupied states for disabling excited state absorption, the energy range (20) being located between : a lower energy (21) which is by the value of the first energy level difference (?1) above the bottom edge of the 5d-band (18) and - a higher energy (22) which is by the value of the second energy level difference possible host materials are Y3 Alga4 O12, Ca3Sc2Si3O12.(?2) above the upper edge of the 5d-band (18). The invention further relates to a corresponding lighting system comprising at least one solid-state laser device (1).