Optical-transition properties of the Nd 3+ ion in Gd 0.8La 0.2VO 4 crystal

Abstract

Nd:Gd 0.8La 0.2VO 4 has been investigated as a Nd-doped laser crystal belonging to the zircon structural family. The optical absorption and emission properties have been characterized for the Nd 3+ ion in Nd:Gd 0.8La 0.2VO 4 crystal. It results in a good fit when the Judd-Ofelt theory of parity-forbidden electric-dipole transitions of rare earth ions on noncentrosymmetric sites is applied to the crystal. Based on the Judd-Ofelt theory, the following spectral parameters have been obtained: the phenomenological parameters t (t=2, 4, and 6), the radiative lifetime, the fluorescence branching ratios and the quantum efficiency. The stimulated emission cross section σ e for the 1.06 μm transition of Nd 3+ in the crystal has been determined from fluorescence measurements. In comparison with those of other laser crystals, these results indicated that Nd:Gd 0.8La 0.2VO 4 is a promising efficient laser material. © 2002 American Institute of Physics.