Growth and spectral properties of Pr -doped Y Al O crystal for potential use in all-solidstate visible laser.

Pr3+-doped Y3Al5O12(Pr:YAG) single crystal has been grown by the Czochralski technique. The room temperature absorption spectrum, emission spectrum, and fluorescence decay curves of Pr:YAG single crystal were studied systematically. Strong absorption peaks in the blue region corresponding to3H4→3P2,1,0 + 1I6transitions and emission peaks in the visible region originating from the3P1,3P0and1D2levels of Pr3+are observed. The emission cross-sections of four main promising laser transitions at 488, 566, 611 and 638 nm were estimated separately. Results show that Pr:YAG single crystal is an excellent candidate for all-solid-state visible laser material that can be pumped by blue laser diode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]