Growth and characterization of La3Ga5.5Nb0.5O14 crystal

La3Ga5.5Nb0.5O14 (LGN) crystal was grown using the Czochralski method. The as-grown crystal is transparent, free inclusions and has no cracks. Specific heat, thermal expansion, dielectric constants and transmission spectrum of LGN crystal have been measured, and the results show these properties are similar to those of La3Ga5SiO14 (LGS) and La3Ga5.5Ta0.5O14 (LGT) crystal. Therefore, an experiment to research the Q-switch properties of LGN was performed. The electro-optical (EO) coefficients were measured and the results show LGN possesses smaller EO coefficients than does LGS and may not be an ideal material for use as an EO Q-switch.