Growth and characterization of Nd:LGGG laser crystal

A Nd:(LuxGd1−x)3Ga5O12 (Nd:LGGG) crystal with dimensions of Ф 26×14 mm3 was successfully grown by the Czochralski (Cz) method. The effective segregation coefficients of the Nd and Lu ions in the crystal were measured to be 0.50 and 1.32, respectively. The thermal properties of the crystal, including the average linear thermal expansion coefficient, specific heat and thermal diffusion coefficient, were measured, and the thermal conductivity was calculated. The Judd–Ofelt theory was applied to calculate the spectral parameters of the crystal. All the properties show that the Nd:LGGG crystal is a promising material for laser applications.

► High quality Nd:LGGG crystal was grown by the Cz method.
► Thermal properties of Nd:LGGG were measured for the first time.
► Spectral parameters of Nd:LGGG were calculated by the Judd–Ofelt theory.