Growth, thermal, and polarized spectroscopic properties of Nd:CeF3 crystal for dual-wavelength lasers

Abstract

A Nd:CeF3 crystal was grown successfully by the vertical Bridgman method. The polarized optical properties were investigated for the first time. Based on the Judd–Ofelt theory, the spectral parameters of Nd3+ were studied in detail by using the spectrum of the as-grown crystal. The peak absorption cross-section of σ-polarization at 791 nm is 1.59 × 10−20 cm2, the full width at half maximum (FWHM) is 10 nm. The peak emission cross-section of σ-polarization at 1070 nm is approximately 2.53 × 10−20 cm2, and the three peaks that make up the broadband peak have comparable value. The measured 4F3/2 level fluorescence lifetime is 0.406 ms. Moreover, segregation coefficient of Nd3+, thermal diffusivity coefficient, and thermal conductivity were also measured. We propose that the Nd:CeF3 crystal may be a promising material for 1 μm dual-wavelength laser applications.