Growth process and optical investigations of Nd:NaGd (MoO4)2 crystals with varying content of Nd and Gd

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

In this paper, [NaGd1‐xNdx](MoO4)2 crystals with x = 0.005–0.05 were grown by Czochralski method at 950 ℃ for 10 hours and subsequently characterized by absorption spectroscopy and fluorescence spectroscopy. The intensity parameters of Nd3+ were calculated by Judd‐Ofelt theory, and the relationship between the parameters and Nd3+ concentration was analyzed. The results show that with the increasing Nd3+ concentration, the oscillator strength, stimulated emission cross‐section, Ωt and spontaneous transition probability decrease slightly, while the fluorescence lifetime decreases significantly. However, the fluorescence branching ratio is almost unchanged with the increasing Nd3+concentration. The [NaGd1‐xNdx](MoO4)2 crystal with (x = 0.01) possesses the highest quantum efficiency of 88.98%, a good fluorescence line‐width of 23 nm, a large value of σem·τf up to 0.55 × 10−22 cm2·s and a stimulated emission cross‐section up to 3.747 × 10−19 cm2 for the transition from 4F3/2 to4I11/2 at 1064 nm. Test results indicate that [NaGd1‐xNdx](MoO4)2 crystals are an excellent gain media for the solid state laser system.