Growth, structure, spectral properties and crystal-field analysis of monoclinic Nd:YNbO4 single crystal

A Nd:YNbO4 single crystal was successfully grown by Czochralski (Cz) method, its structural and spectroscopic properties were investigated. The X-ray rocking curve of the (010) diffraction face of Nd:YNbO4 crystal was measured, the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of this diffraction peak is 0.05°, which indicates a high crystalline quality of the as-grown crystal. Its lattice parameters, atomic coordinates and so on were obtained by Rietvield refinement to X-ray diffraction data. According to the Archimedes drainage method, the crystal density of Nd:YNbO4 is calculated to be 5.4 g/cm3. The Mohr′s hardness value along (010) face was determined to be 6.0. The transmission spectrum along (010) face at room temperature was recorded and the excitation and emission spectra at 8 K were measured. Photoluminescence peaks of Nd:YNbO4 were assigned, and the crystal-field splitting of Nd3+ in YNbO4 was obtained. The fluorescence lifetime of the 4F3/2→4I11/2 transition of Nd3+ in YNbO4 is fitted to be 152 μs These spectroscopic and energy splitting data give an important reference for the research of laser property of Nd:YNbO4 crystal.