Spectroscopic and lasing properties of a diode pumpable Nd:GdF3 crystal

A Nd:GdF₃ single crystal is investigated in terms of absorption and emission properties. It is found that the absorption spectrum around 796 nm has a bandwidth broader than in Nd:YAG or Nd:YLF. As a matter of fact, the absorption band is well fitted to the emission of AlGaAs pump diodes. In the 1050 to 1070 nm region, the emission spectrum is strongly polarized and high peaks are observed at 1051 and 1064 nm. Room-temperature laser emission was achieved under Ti:sapphire pumping for different orientations of the Nd:GdF₃ crystal. An optical efficiency of 25% with a 33% slope efficiency was measured. Then Nd:GdF₃ could be a serious candidate for microlaser applications compared to standard materials like Nd:YVO₄.