About spectroscopy of CeF3:Nd3+ crystal and the first laser experiments with diode pumping

The CeF3 crystal samples activated by neodymium ions were grown by the Bridgman method and studied under diode pumping. Spectroscopic studies were carried out for calculations of the lasing threshold, because some data for these calculations were not available in the literature or are not quite correct. As a result, the spectroscopic data on the CeF3:Nd3+ crystal available in the literature have been supplemented and corrected. It has been determined that concentration quenching occurs at concentrations not higher than 1.5%. Based on the obtained data, the threshold of oscillations at the 4F3/2 → 4I11/2 transition of Nd3+ ions was estimated to be about 2.3 mJ. In the first experiments with diode pumping, lasing was obtained at a wavelength of 1064 nm on the CeF3:Nd3+ crystal with a slope efficiency of 25%. The obtained experimental results agree with the theoretical estimate of the lasing threshold. •Absorption and luminescence spectra of CeF3:Nd3+ in both polarizations differs in the peaks number and their wavelength.•Concentration quenching in CeF3:Nd3+ occurs at concentrations not higher than 1.5%.•Lasing on CeF3:Nd3+ was obtained under diode pumping.