Growth and optical properties of a new promising laser material Er3+/Yb3+:Ca9Y(VO4)7

Er3+/Yb3+:Ca9Y(VO4)(7) crystal with dimensions of empty set 20 x 25 mm(2) was grown successfully by the Czochralski method. Its thermal and spectral properties were investigated in detail. The thermal expansion coefficients are 1.39 x 10(-5) K-1 and 1.63 x 10(-5) K-1 along a-axis and c-axis, respectively. The thermal conductivity is about 1 W/(m K) at room temperature. The absorption bands near 980 nm have a full-width at half-maximum of 37 nm and 26 nm for sigma- and pi-polarization, respectively. The fluorescence lifetime of the I-4(13/2) level of Er3+ is 4.12 ms. The emission cross sections calculated by the Richtbauer-Ladenburg method at 1533 nm are 1.58 x 10(-20) cm(2) and 1.57 x 10(-20) cm(2) for sigma- and pi-polarization, respectively. The results indicate that Er3+/Nb3+:Ca9Y(VO4)(7) crystal is a potential 1.5-1.6 mu m laser material. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.