Growth and characterization of 3.5 at.% Nd:LGSB bifunctional crystal

The performances of 3.5 at.% Nd:LGSB bifunctional laser and nonlinear optical (NLO) crystal were investigated. A high-quality single crystal with incongruent melting, having dimensions of about 12 mm in diameter and 35 mm in length, was grown along the c-axis by the Czochralski technique. The phase-matching curve for type I second harmonic generation (SHG) was determined. Efficient laser emission at 1062 nm, along the phase-matching direction for SHG of 1062 nm radiation, was obtained under the pump at 807 nm with a fiber-coupled laser diode. The Nd:LGSB laser operated with a high slope efficiency of ηsa = 0.56 (with respect to the absorbed pump power), delivering the highest output power of 2.1 W for 4.04 W of absorbed pump power. Preliminary SFD experiments resulted in achieving a maximum green output power of 48 mW at 3.94 W absorbed pump power. •3.5 at.% Nd:LGSB bifunctional crystal was grown by the Czochralski method.•Structural properties of the sintered compound and grown crystal were investigated.•Spectroscopic and nonlinear optical properties of the grown crystal were determined.•Nd:LGSB grown crystal delivered output power of 2.1 W in the NIR at 1062 nm.•Maximum green SFD power of 47 mW was obtained at an absorbed power of 3.94 W.