Spectroscopic and laser properties of Nd3+ in LaSc3(BO3)4 host

Spectroscopic and laser properties have been characterized for Nd3+ in LaSc3(BO3)4. The Judd–Ofelt analysis has been applied to the measured room temperature absorption spectrum to determine the radiative decay rates and branching ratios of Nd3+ transitions from the F3/24 metastable state to the IJ4 lower-lying manifolds. The parameters Ω2, Ω4, and Ω6 are larger than those reported for Nd3+ in other laser host crystals. The value of Ω4/Ω6 is approximately 3.0 times larger than that of Nd3+ in yttrium–aluminum–garnet (YAG) and about 1.4 times larger than that of Nd3+ in the β phase of LaSc3(BO3) reported recently. The measured room temperature fluorescence lifetime of the F3/24→I11/24 transition is 150 μs, while the Judd–Ofelt analysis predicts a radiative lifetime for the F3/24 state to be 249 μs, resulting in the fluorescence quantum efficiency of 60%. The emission cross sections of the F3/24→I11/24 and F3/24→I13/24 intermanifold transitions have been also determined at room temperature. Finally, these results are compared with those of the standard laser material Nd3+:YAG.