The Nd:GdVO4 crystal: a new material for diode-pumped lasers

Single crystals of gadolinium vanadate doped with neodymium ions have been grown by the Czochralski method. The absorption and luminescence spectra of the neodymium have been measured. The absorption near 0.8 μm is higher than 70 cm^–1. The lifetime of the neodymium ions is 90 μs. Laser action has been achieved on the transitions ⁴F_3/2 → ⁴I_13/2, ⁴I_11/2. The differential efficiency of the lasing near 1.06 μm is 54%.