•The Cr3+-doped La0.83Y0.29Sc2.88(BO3)4 crystal was firstly grown from a flux of Li6B4O7 by TSSG method.•It exhibits a strong and broad emission band and long lifetime.•It can be regarded as a potential CW tunable laser crystal material.This paper reports the spectral characteristic of Cr3+-doped La0.83Y0.29 Sc2.88 (BO3)4 crystal. Cr3+-doped La0.83Y0.29Sc2.88 (BO3)4 crystal was grown from a flux of Li6B4O9 by the top seeded solution growth method. Cr3+:La0.83Y0.29 Sc2.88 (BO3)4 crystal exhibits broad absorption and emission bands of Cr3+ ions. The absorption cross-section σa is 3.38 × 10−20 cm2 at 467 nm and 4.40 × 10−20 cm2 at 656 nm for E//c, respectively. The emission band with a peak at 906 nm has a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 188 nm for E//c. The emission cross-section σe at 906 nm is 2.35 × 10−20 cm2 for E//c axis and 2.03 × 10−20 cm2 for E⊥c axis. The fluorescence lifetime of 4T2 → 4A2 transition is 37.7 μs. The investigated result indicates that it may be considered as a potential CW tunable laser crystal material.

•The up-conversion and energy transfer mechanism between Tm3+ and Yb3+ in alumina sol has been investigated.•These samples exhibit two UV and two blue up-conversion emission bands.•This UV emission has a potential application to realize a relatively low threshold four level or cascade laser scheme.This paper reports the up-conversion emission properties of alumina sol containing only Tm3+ or both Tm3+ and Yb3+ ions under 650 nm pumping using a low power xenon lamp source. Two UV emission bands which centered at 349 nm for the 1I6 → 3F4 transition of Tm3+ ion and at 367 nm for the 1D2 → 3H6 transition of Tm3+ ion and two blue emission bands which centered at 457 nm for the 1D2 → 3H4 transition of Tm3+ ion and at 485 nm for the 1G4 → 3H6 transition of Tm3+ ion have been observed. The up-conversion emission follows a two-photon absorption process for both blue bands, and the UV band centered at 367 nm but follows a cross-relaxation process for the UV band centered at 349 nm. The concentration quenching effect is relatively low in this material under 650 nm pumping. Due to the back energy transfer from Yb3+ to Tm3+ ions, the intensity of UV emission corresponding to the 1I6 → 3F4 transition of Tm3+ ion is stronger in alumina sol samples containing both Tm3+ and Yb3+ ions than in which containing only Tm3+ ions.UV up-conversion luminescence of the alumina sol samples containing 1.4 × 10−3 mol Tm3+/ml and different concentration Yb3+ ions under 650 nm pumping. The up-conversion and energy transfer mechanism between Tm3+ and Yb3+ in alumina sol has been investigated. These samples exhibit two UV and two blue up-conversion emission bands. This UV emission has a potential application to realize a relatively low threshold four level or cascade laser scheme.

•The structure and spectral properties of KBaY(MoO4)3 crystal were firstly investigated.•A disordered structure of KBaY(MoO4)3 crystal has been studied.•Optical properties of Nd3+:KBaY(MoO4)3 crystal demonstrate a good potential for DPSSL applications.An Nd3+:KBaY(MoO4)3 crystal with dimensions of 27 × 21 × 8 mm3 was grown by the TSSG method. KBaY(MoO4)3 crystal with disordered structure crystallizes in the monoclinic system with space group C2/c. The spectral properties of KBaY(MoO4)3 crystal have been investigated. It exhibits broad absorption and emission bands, which is caused by its disordered structure and distorted Y(Nd) O8 polyhedron. Nd3+:KBaY(MoO4)3 crystal has large values of peak absorption and emission cross-sections. The fluorescence quantum efficiency η is up to 97.3%. Therefore, the combination of all the optical parameters favorably distinguishes the Nd3+:KBaY(MoO4)3 crystal from other Nd-doped crystals and makes it as a promising laser material for DPSSL application.A view of structure unit of KBaY(MoO4)3 crystal. The spectral properties of KBaY(MoO4)3 crystal have been investigated. It exhibits broad absorption and emission bands, which are caused by its disordered structure and distorted Y(Nd) O8 polyhedron. The spectral properties of Nd3+:KBaY(MoO4)3 crystal with a disordered structure demonstrate a good potential for DPSSL applications.

•The spectral properties of Cr3+:Na2Mg5(MoO4)6 crystal exhibit a broad band emission with FWHM of 192 nm and large emission cross-section.•Crystal field analysis reveals that Cr3+ in Cr3+:Na2Mg5(MoO4)6 crystal is located at lattice site with lower crystal field strength.•Spectral properties of Cr3+:Na2Mg5(MoO4)6 crystal demonstrate a good potential for tunable laser material.This paper reports the growth and spectral properties of Cr3+:Na2Mg5(MoO4)6 crystals. The Na2Mg5(MoO4)6 crystal was grown from a flux of Na2Mo2O7 by the top seeded solution growth method. The absorption cross-sections are 0.692 × 10−19 cm2 at 507 nm and 1.151 × 10−19 cm2 at 736 nm, respectively. The emission cross-section is 1.62 × 10−19 cm2 at 914 nm with FWHM of 192 nm. Based on the absorption and emission spectra, the crystal field strength Dq, the Racah parameters B and C  , effective phonon energy ℏωℏω and the Huang–Rhys factor S were calculated. The spectral properties of Cr3+:Na2Mg5(MoO4)6 crystal demonstrate a good potential for tunable laser material.Emission spectra of Cr3+:Na2Mg5(MoO4)6 crystal with an excitement wavelength 650 nm at different temperature.The spectral properties of Cr3+:Na2Mg5(MoO4)6 crystal exhibit a broad band emission with FWHM of 192 nm and large emission cross-section of 1.62 × 10−19 cm2 at 914 nm. Crystal field analysis reveals that Cr3+ in Cr3+:Na2Mg5(MoO4)6 crystal is located at lattice site with lower crystal field strength. The spectral properties of Cr3+:Na2Mg5(MoO4)6 crystal demonstrate a good potential for tunable laser material.

This paper reports the growth and spectral properties of the Cr3+:CaMgSi2O6 (Cr3+:CMS) crystal. The Cr3+:CMS crystal was grown by the Czochralski method. Investigation of its spectral properties shows that the Cr3+:CMS crystal has broad, strong absorption and emission cross-sections. It has two broad absorption bands which center at 460 nm and 652 nm. The emission cross-section σe at 986.1 nm is 14.39 × 10−20 cm2 at 300 K. The emission FWHM is up to 212 nm. Therefore, the Cr3+:CMS crystal can be considered as a potential tunable and ultrashort pulse laser crystal.

This paper reports the growth, spectroscopic properties and crystal field characterization of Cr3+ doped Li2Mg2(WO4)3 crystal. Cr3+:Li2Mg2(WO4)3 crystal with dimension of Ø 40 × 10 mm2 has been grown by TSSG (top-seeded solution growth) method for the first time. This crystal shows strong absorption in the visible wavelength range and strong emission in the near-infrared wavelength range. The absorption cross section of Cr3+:Li2Mg2(WO4)3 crystal is 12.94 × 10−20 cm2 at 480 nm and 7.89 × 10−20 cm2 at 680 nm, respectively. The luminescent decay property reveals that there are two types of lattice sites occupied by Cr3+ ion in Li2Mg2(WO4)3. The crystal field, electron-vibration coupling and energy levels splitting of Cr3+:Li2Mg2(WO4)3 crystal have been discussed.

Cr3+ ion doped MgWO4 crystal with dimensions of 3 × 3 × 20 mm3 has been grown for the first time. The Cr3+:MgWO4 crystal showed strong absorption in the visible range and strong emission in the near-infrared range. The absorption and emission cross section of this crystal are 8.86 × 10−20 cm2 and 41 × 10−20 cm2 at 740 nm and 993.6 nm, respectively. Energy transfer procedure between Cr3+ ion and the defect center in the host crystal has been demonstrated. The crystal field, electron-vibration coupling and energy levels of the Cr3+:MgWO4 crystal are discussed.

An α-LaBMoO6 crystal with dimensions of ϕ 20 × 30 mm3 has been successfully grown by a modified Czochralski method. The grown crystal belongs to the low temperature phase and crystallizes in the monoclinic system with space group P21. Its crystal structure features a three-dimensional network composed of one-dimensional LaO7, BO2 and MoO4 chains along the b-axis interconnected via corner- and edge-sharing. Corner-sharing BO3 triangles are linked together forming novel zigzag chains along the b-axis. It is found that the α-LaBMoO6 crystal has a SHG effect which is 1.8 times as large as that of KDP crystal. α-LaBMoO6 crystal exhibits high transparency in the range of 350–1100 nm. The absorption edge of the crystal in the UV range is at 340 nm. Therefore, the α-LaBMoO6 crystal could be considered as a potential nonlinear optical crystal and self-frequency doubling laser crystal material.

This paper reports the spectroscopic properties of Yb3+:Li3Ba2Y3(WO4)8 crystal. The polarized spectral properties of Yb3+:Li3Ba2Y3(WO4)8 crystal were investigated. The laser performance parameters βmin, Isat and Imin of Yb3+:Li3Ba2Y3(WO4)8 crystals have been also established. Yb3+:Li3Ba2Y3(WO4)8 crystal has a broad FWHM of the gain cross-section and larger absorption and emission cross-sections. These results may regard the Yb3+:Li3Ba2Y3(WO4)8 crystal as a tunable laser material.Highlights► Yb3+:Li3Ba2Y3(WO4)8 crystal has a larger absorption and emission cross-section for EY. ► Yb3+:Li3Ba2Y3(WO4)8 crystal has a lower threshold for EY. ► Yb3+:Li3Ba2Y3(WO4)8 crystal may be regarded as a potential tunable laser gain medium.

The spectroscopic properties of the Dy3+:LiLa(MoO4)2 crystal prepared by the Czochralski method, have been investigated so as to assess its potentialities for direct yellow laser operation upon excitation with blue–violet or near UV laser diodes. Optical absorption, excitation, emission and fluorescence decay measurements have been performed at room temperature. An intense yellow emission band with favorably high yellow-to-blue luminescence intensity ratio has been observed in the visible region, and relevant parameters for laser applications have been determined in accordance with the Judd–Ofelt theory and Füchtbauer–Ladenburg formula. Based on analysis of Dy3+ concentration dependence of fluorescence lifetime, the energy transfer among Dy3+ ions by the dipole–dipole interaction has been found to be responsible for the fluorescence self-quenching of the 4F9/2 upper laser level at higher dopant concentration. The prospect of the Dy3+:LiLa(MoO4)2 crystal for the realization of efficient yellow laser systems has been discussed.Highlights► Detailed spectral properties of the Dy3+:LiLa(MoO4)2 crystal have been investigated. ► The interaction between Dy3+ ions has been proved to be of dipole–dipole type. ► The crystal exhibits favorably large emission cross sections and (Y/B) ratio. ► The spectral parameters are comparable to those of the Dy3+:YAl(BO3)4 crystal. ► The crystal shows the potential of direct yellow laser generation.

The optical properties of a locally disordered Tm3+:Li2Gd4(MoO4)7 crystal have been investigated extensively to assess its feasibility of efficient ultrafast laser operation in the 2 μm spectral region. The main spectroscopic parameters relevant to laser applications have been evaluated by analyzing the polarized absorption spectra using the Judd–Ofelt theory. The cross-relaxation mechanisms between Tm3+ levels have been applied to analyze the lifetimes of the 3F4, 3H4, and 1G4 manifolds. The potential for producing subpicosecond laser pulses has been discussed on the basis of the calculated emission and gain cross-sections around 2 μm wavelength. The crystal exhibits broad optical bandwidths, large absorption/emission cross sections, and a long 3F4 fluorescence lifetime. All these features indicate that the Tm3+:Li2Gd4(MoO4)7 crystal is a promising gain medium for tunable and ultrafast (fs) pulse lasers.Highlights► Detailed spectral properties of the Tm3+:Li2Gd4(MoO4)7 crystal have been investigated. ► The crystal exhibits favorably large cross-sections and broad optical bandwidths. ► The spectral parameters is similar to those of the Tm3+:Li0.375Lu0.375Ba0.25MoO4 crystal. ► The crystal shows the potential of generation of subpicosecond laser pulses.

In order to obtain new, more efficient laser materials for diode laser-pumped lasers, the laser host materials with broad absorption bands are very important. This paper reports the structure and spectral properties of Nd3+:KBaGd(MoO4)3 crystal. KBaGd(MoO4)3 crystallizes in the monoclinic system with space groupC2/c. The structure analysis shows that KBaGd(MoO4)3 crystal has a disordered structure. The investigation of the spectral properties of Nd3+:KBaGd(MoO4)3 crystals shows that it exhibits broad absorption and emission bands, which are caused by the disordered structure of the KBaGd(MoO4)3 crystal. The broad absorption band is very suitable for diode laser pumping. To sum up the spectral properties of Nd3+:KBaGd(MoO4)3 crystal, it may be regarded as a potential solid-state laser material for diode laser pumping.

The Cr3+-doped K0.6(Mg0.3Sc0.7)2(MoO4)3 crystal was grown from a flux of K2Mo3O10 by the top seeded solution growth method. The K0.6(Mg0.3Sc0.7)2(MoO4)3 crystal crystallizes in the rhombohedral system in space group R3c̅. The K0.6(Mg0.3Sc0.7)2(MoO4)3 crystal has a highly disordered structure. Investigation of the spectral properties of the Cr3+:K0.6(Mg0.3Sc0.7)2(MoO4)3 crystal shows that it exhibits broad absorption and emission bands, which are caused by the disordered structure of the K0.6(Mg0.3Sc0.7)2(MoO4)3 crystal, except for the broad emission of Cr3+ ions. On the basis of the absorption and emission spectra, the crystal field strength Dq/B and Racah parameter C have been calculated. The Dq/B value of 2.18 implies that Cr3+ ion occupies the low crystal field site in the Cr3+:K0.6(Mg0.3Sc0.7)2(MoO4)3 crystal. These results suggest that the Cr3+:K0.6(Mg0.3Sc0.7)2(MoO4)3 crystal is a potential tunable laser crystal material.

This paper reports the growth and spectral properties of Nd3+:Na2Gd4(MoO4)7 crystals. An Nd3+:Na2Gd4(MoO4)7 crystal with dimensions of Ø20 × 25 mm3 has been grown by the Czochralski method. The spectroscopic properties of Nd3+:Na2Gd4(MoO4)7 crystal were investigated. The Judd–Ofelt theory was applied to calculate the spectral parameters. The polarized absorption cross-sections of Nd3+:Na2Gd4(MoO4)7 crystal are 4.25 × 10−20 cm2 with full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 14.6 nm for the π-polarization and 2.87 × 10−20 cm2 with FWHM of 16.2 nm for the σ-polarization, respectively. The emission cross-sections are 10.0 × 10−20 cm2 at 1060 nm for π-polarization and 13.6 × 10−20 cm2 at 1067 nm for σ-polarization, respectively. The fluorescence quantum efficiency has been estimated to be 90.0%. Nd3+:Na2Gd4(MoO4)7 crystal may be considered as a potential laser gain medium for the diode laser pumping.Research highlights▶ In this paper we grow Nd3+:Na2Gd4(MoO4)7 crystals by the Czochralski method and study spectroscopic properties of Nd3+:Na2Gd4(MoO4)7 crystal. ▶ We find that Nd3+:Na2Gd4(MoO4)7 crystal has high fluorescence quantum efficiency. ▶ Nd3+:Na2Gd4(MoO4)7 crystal can be considered as a new potential laser gain medium for the diode laser pumping.

An Nd3+-doped Li3Ba2Y3(WO4)8 crystal with dimensions up to 32 × 20 × 14 mm3 has been grown by the TSSG method. The Li3Ba2Y3(WO4)8 crystal crystallizes in the monoclinic system with the space group C2/c. The unit cell parameters are a = 5.181(2) Å, b = 12.677(7) Å, c = 19.161(10) Å, β = 92.237(13)° and Z = 2. The Li3Ba2Y3(WO4)8 crystal has a high structure disorder. The spectral properties of Nd3+-doped Li3Ba2Y3(WO4)8 crystal exhibited broad absorption and emission bands, which are caused by the disordered structure of the Li3Ba2Y3(WO4)8 crystal. Therefore, it may be regarded as a laser host material for diode laser pumping.

This paper reports the growth and spectral properties of Yb3+:BaLaLiWO6 crystals. A Yb3+:BaLaLiWO6 crystal with dimensions of Ø20 × 15 mm3 has been successfully grown by the Czochralski method. The spectral properties of Yb3+:BaLaLiWO6 crystals have been investigated. The laser performance parameters βmin, Isat and Imin of Yb3+:BaLaLiWO6 crystals have been also established. The above results suggest Yb3+:BaLaLiWO6 crystal as a potential laser crystal material.

This paper reports the growth and spectroscopic characterization of Er3+:Sr3Y(BO3)3 crystal. Er3+:Sr3Y(BO3)3 crystal with dimensions up to ∅20×35 mm3 has been grown by Czochralski method. The polarized spectroscopic properties of Er3+:Sr3Y(BO3)3 crystal were investigated. Based on the Judd–Ofelt theory, the effective intensity parameters Ωt were obtained: Ω2=1.71×10−20 cm2, Ω4=1.39×10−20 cm2, Ω6=0.74×10−20 cm2 for π-polarization, and Ω2=1.77×10−20 cm2, Ω4=1.44×10−20 cm2, Ω6=0.65×10−20 cm2 for σ-polarization. The emission cross-section σem was calculated to be 4.75×10−21 cm2 for π-polarization at 1536 nm and 6.30×10−21 cm2 for σ-polarization at 1537 nm. The investigated results showed that Er3+:Sr3Y(BO3)3 crystal may be regarded as a potential laser host material for 1.55 μm IR solid-state lasers.

This paper reports the growth and spectral properties of Tm3+:Sr3Y(BO3)3 crystals. A Tm3+:Sr3Y(BO3)3 crystal with dimension of Θ27 × 36 mm3 has been grown by the Czochralski method. The spectral properties of Tm3+:Sr3Y(BO3)3 crystal were investigated. Based on the Judd–Ofelt theory the spectral parameters were calculated. The emission cross-section is 4.682 × 10−21 cm2 at about 1890 nm. The above results suggest Tm3+:Sr3Y(BO3)3 crystal as a potential infrared laser crystal.

This paper reports the spectral properties and energy levels of Cr3+:Sc2(MoO4)3 crystal. The crystal field strength Dq, Racah parameter B and C were calculated to be 1408 cm−1, 608 cm−1 and 3054 cm−1, respectively. The absorption cross sections σα of 4A2→4T1 and 4A2→4T2 transitions were 3.74×10−19 cm2 at 499 nm and 3.21×10−19 cm2 at 710 nm, respectively. The emission cross section σe was 375×10−20 cm2 at 880 nm. Cr3+:Sc2(MoO4)3 crystal has a broad emission band with a broad FWHM of 176 nm (2179 cm−1). Therefore, Cr3+:Sc2(MoO4)3 crystal may be regarded as a potential tunable laser gain medium.

This paper reports the structure and spectroscopic characteristics of Nd3+-doped high temperature phase β-LaBMoO6 crystal. β-LaBMoO6 crystal has been grown by the Czchoraski method. The crystal structure of β-LaBMoO6 was determined by the single crystal X-ray diffraction method. The spectroscopic properties of Nd3+:β-LaBMoO6 crystal have been investigated. The Judd–Ofelt theory is applied to the room temperature absorption spectrum. The fluorescence quantum efficiency and absorption and emission cross-sections have been estimated.

Nd3+:Gd1−xLaxCa4O(BO3)3 crystals (where x = 0.16 and 0.33) have been grown successfully by the Czochralski method. The grown Nd3+:Gd1−xLaxCa4O(BO3)3 crystals were characterized by X-ray diffraction, thermal analysis, and spectral analysis. The investigation shows that when the La3+ were partly substituted for the Gd3+ in Nd3+:GdCOB crystals to form Nd3+:Gd1−xLaxCa4O(BO3)3 crystals, the La3+ ion did not affect the basic physical properties of the crystals, but improved the thermal and spectroscopic properties of the crystals, which is helpful to improve the laser performance of Nd3+:GdCOB crystals.

This paper reports polarized spectral properties and energy levels of Cr3+ in KAl(MoO4)2 crystal. The absorption and emission cross sections are estimated as 3.72×10–20 cm2 at 669 nm and 2.74×10–20 cm–2 at 823 nm for σ-polarization, respectively. The energy levels of Cr3+ ion in KAl(MoO4)2 crystal were calculated based on the Tanabe–Sugano theory. It is suggested that Cr3+ ions occupy at an intermediate crystal field site in Cr3+:KAl(MoO4)2.

This paper reports the preparation of Eu3+:CaMoO4 nanocrystals by the microemulsion-mediated hydrothermal method. The synthesized Eu3+:CaMoO4 nanocrystals were characterized by XRD, transmission electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, excitation, and emission spectra. The result shown that Eu3+:CaMoO4 nanocrystals with sizes of 40–90 nm exhibited a monodispersed and single quasihexagon. Eu3+:CaMoO4 nanocrystals exhibit a strong red fluorescence at 614 nm. This result may bring opportunity for the development of the other nanocrystals.

The phase diagram of GdMg(BO2)5 has been determined by means of XRD and DSC. GdMg(BO2)5–NaF system is an eutectic one. The system of GdMg(BO2)5–NaF has an eutectic temperature at 1002 K and eutectic composition of about 50 mass% NaF. Nd3+:GdMg(BO2)5 with dimension up to 17 mm × 15 mm × 8 mm has been grown from a flux of 15 mass% NaF by TSSG method. Nd3+:GdMg(BO2)5 crystal has a FWHM of 7 nm at 800 nm. The fluorescence lifetime is 38 μs. The absorption cross-section and emission cross section are 2.0 × 10−20 cm2 at 808 nm and 7.89 × 10−19 cm2 at 1055 nm, respectively. This results regards the Nd3+:GdMg(BO2)5 crystal as a potential solid-state laser materials.

Yb3+:Ba3Y2(BO3)4 crystals with dimension of ∅20 × 30 mm3 and few cracks have been grown by Czochralski method. Yb3+:Ba3Y2(BO3)4 crystal congruently melts at 1222.7 °C. The strongest absorption band of Yb3+:Ba3Y2(BO3)4 is at 977 nm with an absorption coefficient of 5.8 cm−1 and FWHM of 8 nm. The absorption cross-section of this peak is calculated to be 1.23 × 10−20 cm2. The dominant feature of fluorescence spectrum is a broadband emission, extending from 925 to 1100 nm. The emission cross-section is 8.05 × 10−20 cm2. The radiative lifetime and fluorescence lifetime are 0.587 ms and 0.937 ms, respectively.

Yb3+-doped NaY(MoO4)2 with dimension of ∅22 × 35 mm2 has been grown by Czochralski method. Absorption and emission spectra of the crystal were investigated. The absorption band at 976 nm has a FWHM of 41 nm for π-polarization and 56 nm for σ-polarization, and the absorption cross-section σab is 3.32 × 10−20 cm2 for π-polarization and 2.49 × 10−20 cm2 for σ-polarization at 976 nm. The emission cross-sections σem are estimated from the fluorescence spectrum using the Füchtbauer–Ladenburg formula, which is 2.32 × 10−20 cm2 at 1016 nm for π-polarization and 2.02 × 10−20 cm2 at 1015 nm for σ-polarization room temperature. The fluorescence lifetime τf is 535 μs and the radiative lifetime τr is 276 μs. The laser parameters βmin, Isat and Imin have been calculated.

A transparent Yb3+:Sr3Gd2(BO3)4 crystal with dimensions up to ∅10 × 22 mm2 has been grown by the Czochralski method. The spectral properties have been investigated. The absorption cross-section σa is 1.65 × 10−20 cm2 at 977 nm. The emission cross-section σe is 0.94 × 10−20 cm2 at 1014 nm wavelength. The fluorescence lifetime is 1.18 ms at room temperature.

A crystal of Nd3+:Sr3Gd(BO3)3 with dimension of ϕ25 × 30 mm3 was grown by the Czochralski method. The polarized absorption and emission spectra of Nd3+:Sr3Gd(BO3)3 crystal were measured at room temperature. The absorption cross sections σa are 3.43 × 10−20 cm2 at 807 nm for π-polarization and 1.78 × 10−20 cm2 for σ-polarization, respectively. The emission cross sections σem are 2.0 × 10−19 cm2 at 1063 nm for π-polarization and 1.12 × 10−19 cm2 for σ-polarization, respectively. Fluorescence lifetime τf is 70 μs at room temperature.

The growth and spectroscopic properties of Yb3+:LiLa(WO4)2 crystal were investigated. Yb3+:LiLa(WO4)2 crystal with dimension ∅22 × 18 mm2 has been grown by the Czochralski method. Yb3+:LiLa(WO4)2 crystal has a larger FWHM of 10 nm at 976 nm. The absorption and emission cross-sections of Yb3+:LiLa(WO4)2 crystal are 2.46 × 10−20 cm2 at 976 nm and 0.39 × 10−20 cm2 at 1039 nm, respectively. The radiative lifetime and fluorescence lifetime of Yb3+:LiLa(WO4)2 crystal are 0.365 ms and 1.07 ms, respectively.

A new crystal of Nd3+:Sr3Y2 (BO3)4 with a dimension of Φ 15×30 mm3 was grown by the Czochralski method. The grown crystal was characterized using X-ray diffraction. The absorption and emission spectra of Nd3+:Sr3Y2 (BO3)4 were investigated. The absorption transition at 807 nm has an FWHM of 16 nm. The absorption and emission cross sections are 6.32×10−20 cm2 at 807 nm and 1.07×10−19 cm2 at 1065 nm, respectively. The luminescence lifetime τf is 51.7 μs at room temperature.

A crystal of Nd3+:Sr6GdSc(BO3)6 with the dimension of φ20×30 mm3 was grown by Czochralski method. The grown crystal was characterized by X-ray diffraction and DSC analysis. The DSC analysis showed that the crystal congruently melt at 1306.7°C. The absorption and emission spectra of Nd3+:Sr6GdSc(BO3)6 were investigated. The absorption band at 806 nm has a FWHM of 13 nm. The absorption and emission cross-sections are 2.33×10−20 cm2 at 806 nm and 1.58×10−19 cm2 at 1062 nm, respectively. The luminescence lifetime τf is 75 μs at room temperature.

This paper reports on the optical properties of Cr3+-doped LaSc3(BO3)4 (Cr3+:LSB). Based on measurement of the absorption spectrum the crystal field strength Dq, the Racah parameters B and C were calculated. The photoluminescence spectrum of Cr3+:LSB via 4T2→4A2 transition is a broadband emission from 740 to 1280 nm at room temperature. The measurements of absorption and photoluminescence spectra show that in Cr3+:LSB the Cr3+ ions occupy weak crystal field sites.

We report on the growth and optical properties of the ultraviolet birefrigent crystal of Ba1−xSrxB2O4 solid solution. The crystals of Ba1−xSrxB2O4 (x=0.006∼0.13) solid solution have been successfully grown by the Chozchralski method. The investigated results shows that the crystal of Ba1−xSrxB2O4 (x=0.006∼0.13) solid solution has a high transmittance of 87% in the range of 190 and 2500 nm and high laser damage threshold of 1.2GW/cm2 for 1064 nm radiation. Therefore, the crystal of Ba1−xSrxB2O4 (x=0.006∼0.13) solid solution can be regarded as a novel ultraviolet birefrigent crystal.

An Nd3+:Ca9Gd(VO4)7 crystal with dimensions of ∅25×30 mm3 was grown by the Czochralski method. The hardness, thermal expansion coefficient and thermal conductivity coefficient of the crystal were measured. The spectroscopic characteristics of Nd3+:Ca9Gd(VO4)7 crystals were investigated. The absorption band at 810 nm has an FWHM of 10 nm, and absorption cross-sections are 5.81×10−20 cm2 for π-polarization and 7.47×10−20 cm2 for σ-polarization at 810 nm. The emission cross-sections at 1067 nm are 4.2×10−20 and 6.5×10−20 cm2 for π- and σ-polarizations, respectively. The quantum efficiency ηc is equal to 94.3%. To sum up the above results, Nd3+:Ca9Gd(VO4)7 crystal can be regarded as a highly efficient solid state laser material.

Er3+:Li2Gd4(MoO4)7 crystal with dimensions of ∅20×25 mm3 was grown by the Czochralski method. The thermal properties of Er3+:Li2Gd4(MoO4)7 crystal were investigated. The spectroscopic properties of Er3+:Li2Gd4(MoO4)7 crystal were investigated. Based on the Judd–Ofelt theory, the oscillator strength parameters Ωt and radiative lifetimes were calculated. The emission cross-sections and gain emission cross-section were calculated. In comparison with other Er3+-doped crystals, Er3+:Li2Gd4(MoO4)7 crystal may be regarded as a potential solid-state laser host material.