Laser Crystals

Nd:YVO₄ Laser Crystals

Nd:YVO₄ combines strong pump absorption near 808 nm with linearly polarized emission at 1064 nm for compact diode-pumped laser designs.

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Assortment of violet and pale green Nd:YVO₄ crystal boules, rectangular rods, and small coated components on a dark background

Product overview

Custom Nd:YVO₄ crystals can be specified by Nd³⁺ dopant concentration, dimensions, crystal orientation, end-face geometry, surface requirements, and optical coatings.

Nd:YVO₄ (neodymium-doped yttrium orthovanadate) is a birefringent laser gain medium widely used in diode-pumped solid-state (DPSS) laser systems. It exhibits strong, polarization-dependent absorption around 808 nm and a broader pump absorption band than Nd:YAG, supporting compact diode-pumped laser designs.

Compared with Nd:YAG, Nd:YVO₄ provides stronger pump absorption and a larger stimulated emission cross-section at 1064 nm, allowing efficient operation with relatively short crystal lengths. As a positive uniaxial crystal, it also provides linearly polarized laser emission. Its thermal conductivity is lower than that of Nd:YAG and should therefore be considered in the thermal design of higher-power laser systems.

Nd:YVO₄ is also commonly used with nonlinear optical crystals such as KTP, LBO, and BBO for frequency conversion, including 532 nm green output and other visible or UV wavelengths depending on the laser transition and conversion scheme.

Key advantages

Strong pump absorption near 808 nm
Broader pump absorption band than Nd:YAG
Large stimulated emission cross-section at 1064 nm
High gain and low thresholds in suitable laser designs
Strongly polarization-dependent emission

Properties

Representative Transmission and Fluorescence Spectra

Nd:YVO₄ exhibits strong absorption in the diode-pump region, with spectral characteristics depending on Nd³⁺ concentration, crystal orientation, and polarization. The first two plots show representative transmission spectra (%T), where transmission minima indicate absorption bands. The remaining plots show normalized fluorescence spectra for different polarizations.

Transmission spectrum of 0.5 at.% Nd:YVO₄, 1 mm thick, with wavelength from 400 to 1600 nm on the horizontal axis, transmittance from 0 to 100% (%T) on the vertical axis, and transmission minima around 600 and 800 nm — Transmission spectrum — 0.5 at.% Nd:YVO₄, 1 mm thickness

Transmission spectrum of 3 at.% Nd:YVO₄, 1 mm thick, with wavelength from 400 to 1600 nm on the horizontal axis, transmittance from 0 to 100% (%T) on the vertical axis, and multiple deep transmission minima between 400 and 900 nm — Transmission spectrum — 3 at.% Nd:YVO₄, 1 mm thickness

Normalized p-polarized fluorescence of 1.1 at.% Nd:YVO₄ from 800 to 1600 nm, with a dominant peak near 1064 nm and smaller peaks near 1100 and 1340 nm — Normalized fluorescence spectrum — 1.1 at.% Nd:YVO₄, p polarization

Normalized s-polarized fluorescence of 1.1 at.% Nd:YVO₄ from 800 to 1600 nm, with a dominant peak near 1064 nm and secondary peaks near 1100 and 1340 nm — Normalized fluorescence spectrum — 1.1 at.% Nd:YVO₄, s polarization

Representative examples

3 × 3 × 1.2 mm, a-cut, 1.2 at.% Nd³⁺
- S1: HR @ 1064 nm / HT @ 808 nm
- S2: AR @ 1064 nm
3 × 3 × 4.0 mm, a-cut, 0.6 at.% Nd³⁺
- S1/S2: dual-wavelength AR @ 808 and 1064 nm
4 × 4 × 8.0 mm, a-cut, 0.2 at.% Nd³⁺
- S1/S2: dual-wavelength AR @ 808 and 1064 nm
4 × 4 × 10.0 mm, a-cut, 0.2 at.% Nd³⁺
- S1/S2: dual-wavelength AR @ 808 and 1064 nm