Homogeneous and inhomogeneous spectrum broadening in Nd3+-doped mixed vanadate crystals

Abstract Homogeneous and inhomogeneous spectrum broadening in Nd:LuxGd1−xVO4 series crystals were directly measured for the first time, and compared with that in the Nd:LuxY1−xVO4 and Nd:GdxY1−xVO4 crystals. Spectroscopic properties including fluorescence lifetime, spectral line width, emission peak, and stimulated emission cross section had obvious changes with the temperature increased from 77 K to 300 K, owing to the thermal phonon vibration. Compared to the pure vanadate crystals, we found these changes were more sensitive to temperature in the case of mixed crystals, in which cations (Lu, Y, and Gd) are random replaced by each other at the same lattice site. At 77 K, the thermal phonon vibration effect can be ignored and the inhomogeneous spectrum broadening that caused by disordered structure in all samplers can be calculated with the line-width of pure vanadate crystals as reference point, the corresponding values ( Δ Γ ( T ) ′ ) were 2.2 nm–3.8 nm in 4F3/2 → 4I11/2 transition and 1.7 nm–2.8 nm in 4F3/2 → 4I13/2 transition. Compared to Nd:LuxY1−xVO4 and Nd:GdxY1−xVO4 series mixed crystals, the change in spectral line width with x is most obvious in the case of Nd:LuxGd1−xVO4 series crystals, which may be attributed to the larger ionic radius difference between Gd and Lu (RLu

[1]  Zongshu Shao,et al.  Enhancement of passive Q-switching performance with mixed Nd:LuxGd1-xVO4 laser crystals. , 2007, Optics letters.

[2]  Zhengping Wang,et al.  Passive mode-locking performance with a mixed Nd:Lu(0.5)Gd(0.5)VO(4) crystal. , 2009, Optics Express.

[3]  Klaus Petermann,et al.  Solid-state lasers: status and future [Invited] , 2010 .

[4]  R. I. Merino,et al.  Concentration and temperature dependence of Nd3+ luminescence in LaGaO3 , 2000 .

[5]  D. Sardar,et al.  Stark components of 4F3/2, 4I9/2 and 4I11/2 manifold energy levels and effects of temperature on the laser transition of Nd3+ in YVO4 , 2000 .

[6]  Yanli Mao,et al.  Temperature effect on emission lines and fluorescence lifetime of the 4F3/2 state of Nd:YVO4 , 2004 .

[7]  Y. Chen,et al.  Diode-pumped passively Q-switched picosecond Nd:GDxY1-xVO4 self-stimulated raman laser. , 2004, Optics letters.

[8]  Zhengping Wang,et al.  Growth and laser characterization of mixed Nd:LuxGd1−xVO4 laser crystals , 2006 .

[9]  B. Viana,et al.  Spectroscopic evidence of inhomogeneous distribution of Nd3+ in YVO4, YPO4 and YAsO4 crystals , 2000 .

[10]  Ji-yang Wang,et al.  Growth and characterization of Nd:Lu3ScxGa5 − xO12 series laser crystals , 2011 .

[11]  Zhengping Wang,et al.  Inhomogeneous spectrum broadening in Nd^3+:Lu_xY_1-xVO_4 series crystals and consequences on mode-locking laser operation , 2013 .

[12]  Minhua Jiang,et al.  Growth and characterization of Nd:Y x Gd 1−x VO 4 series laser crystals , 2008 .

[13]  B. Chai,et al.  Excited state absorption and stimulated emission of Nd3+ in crystals. Part 2: YVO4, GdVO4, and Sr5(PO4)3F , 1998 .

[14]  T. Kushida.  Linewidths and Thermal Shifts of Spectral Lines in Neodymium-Doped Yttrium Aluminum Garnet and Calcium Fluorophosphate , 1969 .

[15]  T. Jensen,et al.  Spectroscopic characterization and laser performance of diode-laser-pumped Nd: GdVO4 , 1994 .

[16]  Alain Brenier,et al.  Laser properties of the diode-pumped Nd3+-doped La2CaB10O19 crystal , 2010 .

[17]  Performance of a Nd:YVO(4) microchip laser with continuous-wave pumping at wavelengths between 741 and 825 nm. , 1993, Applied optics.

[18]  P. Moulton.  Spectroscopic and laser characteristics of Ti:Al2O3 , 1986 .

[19]  Enrico Cavalli,et al.  Growth, spectroscopic characterization, and laser performance of Nd:LuVO_4, a new infrared laser material that is suitable for diode pumping , 2002 .

[20]  A. Schawlow,et al.  Thermal Shifts in the Energy Levels of LaF 3 :Nd 3+ * , 1967 .

[21]  Douglas H. Blackburn,et al.  Optical properties of Nd3+ in tellurite and phosphotellurite glasses , 1981 .

[22]  Simon Joly,et al.  Recent advances in monoclinic crystal optics , 2013 .

[23]  Mikhail A. Noginov,et al.  Study of luminescence concentration quenching and energy transfer upconversion in Nd-doped LaSc 3 (BO 3 ) 4 and GdVO 4 laser crystals , 1998 .

[24]  R. Powell,et al.  Energy transfer processes in YVO4:Nd3+ , 1980 .

[25]  Mauro Tonelli,et al.  Temperature-dependent stimulated emission cross section in Nd 3+ :YVO 4 crystals , 2009 .

[26]  Y. Chen,et al.  Orthogonally polarized dual-wavelength Nd:LuVO4 laser at 1086 nm and 1089 nm. , 2012, Optics express.

[27]  T. Maiman.  Stimulated Optical Radiation in Ruby , 1960, Nature.

[28]  Patrick Georges,et al.  Temperature dependence of the emission cross section of Nd:YVO 4 around 1064 nm and consequences on laser operation , 2011 .

[29]  W. C. Scott,et al.  Phonon-induced relaxation in excited optical states of trivalent praseodymium in laf sub 3. , 1964 .

[30]  David N. Payne,et al.  High-Power Fiber Lasers , 2011, Science.

[31]  Zhengping Wang,et al.  Direct investigation of inhomogeneous spectrum broadening in Nd^3+:Gd_xY_1-xVO_4 series crystals , 2013 .

[32]  Yongguang Zhao,et al.  Thermal, spectroscopic, and laser characterization of Nd:LuxY1-xVO4 series crystals , 2011 .

[33]  Huai-jin Zhang,et al.  Advances in vanadate laser crystals at a lasing wavelength of 1 micrometer , 2014 .