Spectroscopic and laser properties of Nd3+ in LaSc3(BO3)4 host

Spectroscopic and laser properties have been characterized for Nd3+ in LaSc3(BO3)(4). The Judd-Ofelt analysis has been applied to the measured room temperature absorption spectrum to determine the radiative decay rates and branching ratios of Nd3+ transitions from the F-4(3/2) metastable state to the I-4(J) lower-lying manifolds. The parameters Omega (2), Omega (4), and Omega (6) are larger than those reported for Nd3+ in other laser host crystals. The value of Omega (4)/Omega (6) is approximately 3.0 times larger than that of Nd3+ in yttrium-aluminum-garnet (YAG) and about 1.4 times larger than that of Nd3+ in the beta phase of LaSc3(BO3) reported recently. The measured room temperature fluorescence lifetime of the F-4(3/2)--> I-4(11/2) transition is 150 mus, while the Judd-Ofelt analysis predicts a radiative lifetime for the F-4(3/2) state to be 249 mus, resulting in the fluorescence quantum efficiency of 60%. The emission cross sections of the F-4(3/2)--> I-4(11/2) and F-4(3/2)--> I-4(13/2) intermanifold transitions have been also determined at room temperature. Finally, these results are compared with those of the standard laser material Nd3+:YAG. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.