Growth, structure and spectral properties of Cr3+-doped LiMgAl(MoO4)3 crystals with a disordered structure

Abstract

In order to obtain new, more efficient tunable laser materials for diode laser-pumping, a laser host material with broad absorption and emission bands is very important. This paper reports on the growth, structure and spectral properties of Cr³⁺:LiMgAl(MoO₄)₃ crystals. The Cr³⁺:LiMgAl(MoO₄)₃ crystals were grown using the top-seeded solution growth (TSSG) method from a flux of Li₂Mo₃O₁₀. The LiMgAl(MoO₄)₃ crystals crystallize in a triclinic symmetry with the space group P and have a highly disordered structure. The investigated spectral properties indicated that the Cr³⁺-doped LiMgAl(MoO₄)₃ crystals exhibited broad absorption and emission bands which are attributed to locally disordered environments around the Cr³⁺ centers. The spectral properties suggested that Cr³⁺-doped LiMgAl(MoO₄)₃ crystals are a potential candidate for a tunable laser crystal material.