Growth, crystal structure and optical properties of new laser crystal Li3Ba2Nd3(MoO4)8

A Li3Ba2Nd3(MoO4)8 crystal has been grown by the flux method for the first time. The crystal structure has been refined at room temperature using single crystal X-ray diffraction data. X-ray investigations showed that the newly synthesized compound crystallizes in a monoclinic structure, space group C2/c with the following unit-cell dimensions: a=5.281301 A°, b=12.8725(2) A°, c=19.2549(2) A°, V=1308.83 A°3, Z=2 and ρ=5.095 g cm−3. The absorption and emission spectra of Li3Ba2Nd3(MoO4)8 crystal at room temperature have also been studied. The heat capacity was measured from 25 to 300 °C. These results show that Li3Ba2Nd3(MoO4)8 crystal is a potential laser crystal.