Spectroscopy of Nd3+-doped KGd(WO4)(2) laser material, grown by the top nucleated floating crystal method

Nd3+-doped KGd(WO4)(2) Single crystals are investigated as laser media and nonlinear Raman shifters. They have been grown by the top nucleated floatin g crystal method. They were mainly obtained as platelets with two large (01 0) faces (i.e. perpendicular to the two-fold b'-axis of the monoclinic latt ice). Their spectroscopic properties are given at room and liquid helium te mperature: up-conversion fluorescence, absorption from the I-4(9/2) ground state for an extended Judd-Ofelt parameters analysis, absorption from the F -4(3/2) excited state near 1067 nm and Raman spectra have been measured in the direction of the b'-axis in two orthogonal polarizations.