NaLa(MoO4)2as a laser host material

Abstract

Crystallographic and optical properties of NaLa(${\mathrm{MoO}}_4$ ${)}_2$ are presented. The positions of the Stark levels are reported for the [LS]J manifolds of ${\mathrm{Nd}}^{3+}$ and ${\mathrm{Er}}^{3+}$ up to the absorption edge in this host material. A least-squares fit to the data was performed to obtain the crystal-field parameters. For ${\mathrm{Nd}}^{3+}$ the following crystal-field parameters were obtained: ${\mathit{B}}_{20}$=519, ${\mathit{B}}_{40}$=-695, ${\mathit{B}}_{44}$=964, ${\mathit{B}}_{60}$=-190, and ${\mathit{B}}_{64}$=673+i384 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{-}1}$, with a root-mean-square (rms) deviation of 7.7 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{-}1}$. For ${\mathrm{Er}}^{3+}$ we obtained ${\mathit{B}}_{20}$=422, ${\mathit{B}}_{40}$=-507, ${\mathit{B}}_{44}$=839, ${\mathit{B}}_{60}$=-116, and ${\mathit{B}}_{64}$=409+i158 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{-}1}$, with a rms deviation of 4.8 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{-}1}$. Intensity calculations based on fits to the experimental data yield line-to-line and multiplet branching ratios. The results of this investigation indicate that ${\mathrm{Er}}^{3+}$:NaLa(${\mathrm{MoO}}_4$ ${)}_2$ and ${\mathrm{Nd}}^{3+}$:NaLa(${\mathrm{MoO}}_4$ ${)}_2$ show promise as diode-pumped laser materials.