Spectroscopic features and laser performance at 1.06 μm of Nd3+-doped Gd1−xLuxCa4O(BO3)3 single crystal

High quality nonlinear optical Gd0.84Lu0.11Nd0.05Ca4O(BO3)3 (Nd: GdLuCOB) crystal has been grown by the Czochralski method. The high resolution and polarized spectroscopic data of Nd3+ in GdLuCOB crystal were carried out and analyzed in the framework of the Judd-Ofelt theory. The polarized emission cross-sections for the 4F3/2 → 4I9/2 and 4F3/2 → 4I11/2 Nd3+ transitions of special interest for laser application were determined. Near-infrared laser emission at 1061 nm was achieved under cw Ti: sapphire end pumping at 812 nm. For propagation along the Z-axis, laser emission polarized parallel to the Y-axis was obtained for the first time. This result offers the opportunity to achieve type I SFD of Nd3+ emission in the ZX plane which presents a non-linearity approximately three times larger than XY plane.