Growth, thermal and spectral properties of Nd3+:YCa9(VO4)7 crystal

• Nd3+:YCa9(VO4)7 crystal was grown by the Czochralski method.
• The intensity of SHG of the crystal is 1.5 times that of KDP.
• The thermal and spectral properties of the crystal were investigated.
• The refractive index and the phase-matching angles of the crystal were obtained.
• The results show that the crystal is a promising nonlinear laser material.

A new crystal of Nd3+:YCa9(VO4)7 was grown successfully by the Czochralski method. Its intensity of second harmonic generation is about 1.5 times as large as that of KH2PO4 crystal. The thermal physical properties and the spectral properties of the crystal were investigated in detail. Based on the Judd–Ofelt theory, the intensity parameters were obtained. From the measured principal refractive indices, the Sellmeir equations and the theoretical phase-matching angles of the crystal were obtained. The results showed that Nd3+:YCa9(VO4)7 crystal is expected to be a new self-frequency-doubling laser crystal.