Nd-doped structurally disordered YSr₃(PO₄)₃ single crystal: Growth and laser performances

Disordered-structure crystals have drawn increasing attention as promising ultrashort laser material hosts owing to their broad linewidth. Herein, a novel disordered Nd:YSr₃(PO₄)₃ (Nd:YSP) crystal with good quality was successfully grown via the Czochralski pulling technique. The absorption and fluorescence spectra of the Nd:YSP single crystal were recorded at ambient temperature. The maximum absorption cross section for Nd:YSP single crystal is found to be approximately 3.89 × 10⁻²⁰ cm². The stimulated emission cross section for Nd:YSP crystal at ∼1060 nm was determined to be 7.64 × 10⁻²⁰ cm² with the full width half maximum value of 22 nm. The fluorescence lifetime of the Nd³⁺ ions in the Nd:YSP crystal is fitted to be 288 μs. Diode-pumped continuous-wave laser operation is firstly realized at approximately 1060 nm. The maximum output power value from the Nd:YSP crystal is 714 mW, corresponding to a slope efficiency of ∼12.8%. The results indicate that the Nd:YSP crystal with a disordered structure may be a promising disordered laser host.