Nd:Y3ScxAl5-xO12 (x= 0.05, 0.5, 1) shaped crystals grown by the micro-pulling-down method and optical properties

Nd³⁺ doped Y₃Sc_xAl_5-xO₁₂ (x = 0.05, 0.5, 1) single crystals were successfully grown by the micro-pulling-down (μ-PD) technique. The effect of compositional parameter x on the structure, absorption, emission and fluorescence lifetime of Nd:Y₃Sc_xAl_5-xO₁₂ crystals was studied. The Nd³⁺ concentration in the core increased with increasing of compositional parameter x. The full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the emission band centered at 1064 nm was calculated to be 6.1, 7.1, and 7.3 nm for x = 0.05, 0.5 and 1, respectively. The fluorescence lifetimes of ⁴F_3/2 levels are 259.3, 269.6, and 276.9 μs for x = 0.05, 0.5, and 1, respectively. The results indicate that the Nd:Y₃Sc_xAl_5-xO₁₂ crystals are promising materials for laser output.