Fluorescence in neodymium ultraphosphate

The properties of the Nd-ultraphosphate NdP
5
O
14
(NdUP), a crystalline material that appears to be a promising candidate for an efficient Nd laser, are described. The Nd concentration of 4.10
²¹
/cm
³
is ∼60 times higher than the upper limit useful for doped laser crystals (
\simI
percent) like Nd:YAG. Despite the much higher Nd concentration the linewidths and cross sections of the major transitions are shown to be very similar to those of Nd:YAG. Therefore, it is expected that the gain per unit length in NdUP is also ∼60 times higher than in Nd:YAG. The crystal structure, the absorption and fluorescence spectra, level assignments, and various other features of NdUP are reported. Other rare earths form similar insoluble stable compounds. Most of them are transparent from the UV to the near IR except for the absorption bands of the metal ions.