Growth and characterization of new laser crystal Nd3+:Ca2.85Gd0.1(VO4)2

The crystal growth, crystal defect, thermal properties and luminescence properties of Nd3+:Ca2.85Gd0.1(VO4)2 were investigated. Nd3+:Ca2.85Gd0.1(VO4)2 crystal grown by Czochraski method was green colored, and was not transparent, which was possibly due to residual impurities in V2O5, or due to the lack of oxygen in the growth process. And the Nd3+:Ca2.85Gd0.1(VO4)2 crystal had the existence of 180° domains. However, the annealing method could effectively decrease the crystal defect and greatly improve the quality of crystal. The average thermal expansion coefficients calculated were α⊥c=9.5767×10−6 K−1, α//⊥c=10.7647×10−6 K−1, respectively. The specific heat of Ca2.85Gd0.1(VO4)2 was 0.401 J/(g·K) at 330 K. The polarized absorption spectra and the polarized fluorescence spectra of Ca2.85Gd0.1(VO4)2 were measured at 330 K. Based on the Judd-Ofelt theory, the intensity parameter Ωλ (λ=2, 4, and 6), the radiation transition probabilities trad, the stimulated-emission cross section ρp in Nd3+:Ca2.85Gd0.1(VO4)2 crystal were calculated.