Nd3+ as effective sensitizing and deactivating ions for 2.84 µm lasers in Ho3+-doped LuYO3 crystal

In this study, a Nd,Ho:LuYO3 single crystal is grown for the first time using the floating-zone method. The spectral properties of the crystal are investigated and compared with those of Ho:LuYO3. Accordingly, we describe the energy-transfer mechanism of Nd3+ and Ho3+ in LuYO3, including the sensitization and deactivation of Nd3+ on Ho3+, which indicates that the Nd,Ho:LuYO3 crystal is suitable as a laser crystal for the direct pumping of InGaAs semiconductor lasers.