Structure, thermal and spectroscopic properties of Tm3+-doped Li3Ba2Y3(MoO4)8 crystal as a promising candidate for 2 μm lasers

Abstract

Tm³⁺:Li₃Ba₂Y₃(MoO₄)₈ crystal has been grown by the top seeded solution growth (TSSG) method from a flux of Li₂MoO₄. The crystal crystallizes in the monoclinic system with the space group C2/c, and the unit cell parameters are a = 5.2052(6), b = 12.6763(17), c = 19.107(3), β = 91.293(12)°, V = 1260.4(3). The thermal expansion, polarized absorption and fluorescence spectra of the crystal were measured and the main spectroscopic parameters were calculated. The broad absorption bands and the large absorption cross sections around 800 nm of Tm³⁺:Li₃Ba₂Y₃(MoO₄)₈ crystal indicate that the crystal is very suitable for diode-laser pumping. On the other hand, the broad emission bands around 2 μm show that the crystal is a potential medium for tunable and short pulse lasers.