Eur. Phys. J. AP 6, 155-163 (1999)
https://doi.org/10.1051/epjap:1999166

Spectroscopy of Nd³⁺-doped KGd(WO₄)₂ laser material, grown by the top nucleated floating crystal method

Laboratoire de Physico-Chimie des Matériaux Luminescents (UMR CNRS 5620), Université Claude Bernard-Lyon I, 43 boulevard 11 November 1918, 69629 Villeurbanne Cedex, France

Corresponding author: bourgeoi@pcml.univ-lyon1.fr

Received: 10 August 1998
Revised: 16 December 1998
Accepted: 21 December 1998
Published online: 15 May 1999

Abstract

Nd³⁺-doped KGd(WO₄)₂ single crystals are investigated as laser media and nonlinear Raman shifters. They have been grown by the top nucleated floating crystal method. They were Maynly obtained as platelets with two large (010) faces (i.e. perpendicular to the two-fold b'-axis of the monoclinic lattice). Their spectroscopic properties are given at room and liquid helium temperature: up-conversion fluorescence, absorption from the ⁴I_9/2 ground state for an extended Judd-Ofelt parameters analysis, absorption from the ⁴F_3/2 excited state near 1067 nm and Raman spectra have been measured in the direction of the b'-axis in two orthogonal polarizations.