Basic Properties of Nd‐Doped GYSGG Laser Crystal

• Published in: Crystal research and technology (1979) 2017-09, Vol.52 (9), p.n/a
• Main Authors: Ding, Shoujun, Zhang, Qingli, Luo, Jianqiao, Liu, Wenpeng, Sun, Dunlu, Wang, Xiaofei, Sun, Guihua, Gao, Jinyun
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Chemical etching; Laser crystal; Mechanical properties; Nd:GYSGG; Spectral properties
• ISSN: 0232-1300; 1521-4079
• DOI: 10.1002/crat.201700132

In the present work, we investigated the mechanical properties (including hardness, fracture toughness, brittleness index and yield strength) of Nd0.03Gd0.93Y2.04Sc2Ga3O12 (Nd:GYSGG) laser crystal using Vickers microhardness tester, for the first time. The defects morphology of Nd:GYSGG crystal were investigated by using chemical etching method with phosphoric acid etchant. The absorption spectrum of Nd:GYSGG from 300 to 2800 nm was measured at room temperature and the absorption peaks were assigned. The fluorescence lifetime of the 4F3/2→4I11/2 transition of Nd3+ in GYSGG is fitted to be 221.3 μs. The three Judd‐Ofelt intense parameters Ω2, 4, 6 were calculated to be 0.329 × 10−20 cm2, 2.761 × 10−20 cm2 and 4.222 × 10−20 cm2, respectively. All these demonstrate that Nd:GYSGG crystal is a good candidate laser material. In this work, a Nd:GYSGG crystal with high crystalline quality was grown successfully by Czochralski method. Its mechanical properties (including hardness, fracture toughness, brittleness index and yield strength) and defects were systemically studied. The J‐O calculation was applied to investigate its spectral properties. The fluorescence lifetime of 4F3/2→4I11/2 transition is fitted to be 221.3 μs. All of these obtained results play an important role for the practical application of the Nd:GYSGG crystal.