Fabrication and properties of a Tm3+ doped TbVO4 magneto-optical crystal

Abstract

A highly transparent Tb_1−xTm_xVO₄ (TTV) single crystal with a size of Ø 30 × 35mm³ has been successfully grown employing the Czochralski method. X-ray powder diffraction measurement was carried out, confirming that TTV crystallizes in the tetragonal system. The full width at half maximum of the rocking curve for the TTV crystal is 14 arcsec, revealing that TTV has excellent crystallinity. The TTV crystal exhibits high transparency over a wide wavelength range. The measured Verdet constants of the TTV crystal at 532, 633, and 1064 nm are 282, 214, and 139 rad m⁻¹ T⁻¹, respectively, which are remarkably larger than those of the commercially available TGG crystal. The extinction ratio of TTV at 1064 nm reaches 43 dB, which exceeds the largest value of TGG. The laser-induced damage threshold and thermal conductivity of TTV have also been studied to assess its practical application in high-power laser system. Above presented results demonstrate that TTV has high potential as a magneto-optical material in the VIS–NIR region.