Thermal, spectroscopic, and laser characterization of Nd:LuxY1-xVO4 series crystals

A series of Nd:LuxY1-xVO4 (x = 0.10, 0.26, 0.41, 0.61, 0.67, 0.80) mixed laser crystals were grown and researched systematically, for the first time to our knowledge. Their thermal properties were investigated, including the specific heat, thermal expansion, thermal conductivity and the material constant. Their spectral properties were measured and their spectral parameters were calculated by J-O theory, including the absorption spectrum, emission spectrum, fluorescence lifetime and emission cross section. In CW laser operation, a maximum output power of 3.1 W was obtained from the Nd:Lu0.10Y0.90VO4 mixed crystal, corresponding to an optical conversion efficiency of 51.7 %, and a slope efficiency of 59.8 %. When Cr:YAG crystal was used as the saturable absorber, passively Q-switched pulse laser operation was achieved for Nd:LuxY1-xVO4 series crystals. The best pulse performance came from Nd:Lu0.10Y0.90VO4 crystal, with the maximum pulse energy of 169 μJ and the highest peak power of 26.4 kW.