Growth, thermal and laser properties of neodymium-doped sodium yttrium double tungstate crystal

In this paper, the neodymium-doped sodium yttrium double tungstate crystal [Nd:NaY(WO4)(2), designed as Nd:NYW] has been brown by the Czochralski meth od. The data of thermal expansion and specific heat of the crystal have bee n measured. The thermal expansion coefficients along X and Z direction are alpha (1) = 3.5 x 10(-6)/K and alpha (2) = 1.77 x 10(-5)/K. respectively. T he specific heat is 0.5132 J/g.K. The measured absorption spectra around 80 0 nm at room temperature show that the crystal has different absorption pea ks. 801.25 nm for pi polarization and two peaks 804.04 nm and 812.26 nm for sigma polarization. The peak absorption coefficients are 9.37 cm(-1) (pi) and 3.95 cm(-1) (sigma at 804.04 nm). The fluorescence at room temperature show that the strongest fluorescence is centered at 1060.12 nm. The laser a t 1060 nm is demonstrated pumped by a Ti:saphiere laser at 801 nm. The slop e efficiency is 38.1%.