Crystal growth and characterization of Nd, Mg co-doped near-stoichiometric LiNbO3

Nd, Mg co-doped near-stoichiometric LiNbO3 (Nd:Mg:SLN) crystals were grown from Li-rich solutions by a top-seeded solution-growth (TSSG) method. Doping of Mg 1 mol% was used to suppress photorefractive damage and the Nd nominal concentration added to the solution was either 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 0.9, or 1.8 mol%. From the analyzed Nd concentration in the Nd:Mg:SLN crystals and nominal Nd concentration in the solutions, the effective distribution coefficient keffkeff for Nd was calculated to be 0.12. The thermal conductivity of these crystals was found to be sensitive to non-stoichiometric defects (Nb anti-site defects)—the thermal conductivity of the Nd:Mg:SLN crystal was found to be about 1.3 times as large as that of the Nd, Mg co-doped congruent LiNbO3 (Nd:Mg:CLN) crystal. From the viewpoint of laser materials, this increased thermal conductivity is advantageous even if other laser properties are almost the same. The optical absorption and emission spectra of Nd:Mg:SLN crystals were found to be almost the same as those of the Nd:Mg:CLN crystal.