Phase diagram, growth and spectral properties of Nd3+:GdMg(BO2)5 crystal

The phase diagram of GdMg(BO2)5 has been determined by means of XRD and DSC. GdMg(BO2)5-NaF system is an eutectic one. The system of GdMg(BO2)5-NaF has an eutectic temperature at 1002 K and eutectic composition of about 50 mass% NaF. Nd3+:GdMg(BO2)5 with dimension up to 17 mm × 15 mm × 8 mm has been grown from a flux of 15 mass% NaF by TSSG method. Nd3+:GdMg(BO2)5 crystal has a FWHM of 7 nm at 800 nm. The fluorescence lifetime is 38 μs. The absorption cross-section and emission cross section are 2.0 × 10−20 cm2 at 808 nm and 7.89 × 10−19 cm2 at 1055 nm, respectively. This results regards the Nd3+:GdMg(BO2)5 crystal as a potential solid-state laser materials.