Abstract
Neodymium doped yittrium vanadate (Nd: YVO4) single crystals were successfully grown from the stoichiometric melt by Chochralski's method. The effective distribution coefficient of Nd for Nd: YVO4 growth was 0.57. As-grown crystals of undoped YVO4 showed a slightly large and wide optical absorption at the short wavelength region near the absorption edge . However it was improved by an annealing at 1200° for 10 h in an oxygen atmosphere. The absorption by Nd3+ in Nd: YVO4 was very strong compared with that in Nd: YAG of the same Nd concentration. The refractive indices of YVO4 were also measured by a minimum deviation method. The principal refractive index at λ=1064nm (the main oscillating wavelength of a Nd: YVO4 laser) was 1.9573 (ω) and 2.1652 (ε).
