Growth, structure, and optical properties of a self-activated crystal: Na3Nd9O3(BO3)8

• The single crystal of Na3Nd9O3(BO3)8 has been obtained for the first time.
• It has a extremely high Nd3+ concentration (1.60 × 1022 ions/cm3).
• Its absorption spectrum, emission spectrum, and decay time have been investigated.
• Na3Nd9O3(BO3)8 might be a good candidate for microchip laser media.

A self-activated crystal Na3Nd9O3(BO3)8 has been grown by using Na2CO3–B2O3–NaF as flux. Its structure was determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Na3Nd9O3(BO3)8 crystallizes in the hexagonal crystal system, space group P  6¯ 2m with unit-cell parameters a = 8.7611 Å, c = 8.4579 Å, Z = 1, and V = 562.23 Å3, which is isostructural with Na3La9O3(BO3)8. Na3Nd9O3(BO3)8 has a high Nd3+ concentration (1.60 × 1022 ions/cm3), almost three times that of the self-activated crystal NdAl3(BO3)4 (NAB). The absorption and emission spectra as well as decay time for 4F3/2 to 4I11/2 transition in Na3Nd9O3(BO3)8 were measured at room temperature. The obtained results show that Na3Nd9O3(BO3)8 may be a potential high-neodymium-content laser crystal for microchip laser application.

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