Growth and properties of Nd:(LuxGd1−x)3Ga5O12 laser crystal by Czochralski method

In this paper we report the growth and characterization of Nd:(LuxGd1−x)3Ga5O12 crystal for the first time. The polycrystalline materials were synthesized by conventional solid-state reaction. Single crystal with good optical quality was successfully obtained and the dimensions of the as-grown crystal were Ø21 × 30 mm3. X-ray powder diffraction studies confirm that the Nd:(LuxGd1−x)3Ga5O12 crystal is isostructural with Gd3Ga5O12 with unit cell parameter of 1.2361 nm which is less than that of Gd3Ga5O12 crystal (1.2376 nm). The absorption and emission spectra of the crystal at room temperature have also been studied. Continuous-wave (CW) laser performance at 1.06 μm has been demonstrated on the crystal.