Growth, structural and spectroscopic properties of Yb3+-doped Li0.75Gd0.75Ba0.5(MoO4)2 crystals

Abstract Yb-doped Li 0.75 Gd 0.75 Ba 0.5 (MoO 4 ) 2 crystals were grown in air by the Top Seeded Solution Growth slow cooling method in a Li 2 Mo 2 O 7 flux. The single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis indicates the symmetry of monoclinic space group C 2 /c (No. 15), with lattice parameters a  = 5.2355(3) A, b  = 12.7396(8) A, c  = 19.1626(11) A, β  = 91.170(1)°, V  = 1277.84(13) A 3 , and Z  = 8, with one 8 f site shared (0.725:0.06:0.215) by Gd 3+ , Yb 3+ and Li + ions, respectively. The optical absorption and photoluminescence properties are described consistently with the anisotropic character of the monoclinic phase. The relative energies of the Yb 3+ Stark levels have been determined, and in order to make a preliminary evaluation of its laser properties, values of the 300 K absorption and emission cross-sections have been derived.