Growth, structural and spectroscopic properties of Yb3+-doped Li0.75Gd0.75Ba0.5(MoO4)2 crystals

Yb-doped Li0.75Gd0.75Ba0.5(MoO4)2 crystals were grown in air by the Top Seeded Solution Growth slow cooling method in a Li2Mo2O7 flux. The single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis indicates the symmetry of monoclinic space group C2/c (No. 15), with lattice parameters a = 5.2355(3) Å, b = 12.7396(8) Å, c = 19.1626(11) Å, β = 91.170(1)°, V = 1277.84(13) Å3, and Z = 8, with one 8f site shared (0.725:0.06:0.215) by Gd3+, Yb3+ and Li+ ions, respectively. The optical absorption and photoluminescence properties are described consistently with the anisotropic character of the monoclinic phase. The relative energies of the Yb3+ Stark levels have been determined, and in order to make a preliminary evaluation of its laser properties, values of the 300 K absorption and emission cross-sections have been derived.