Nd:YVO₄ – Neodymium doped Yttrium Vanadate

The Nd:YVO4 crystal is uniaxial and emits only linearly polarized light, thereby avoiding unwanted birefringent effects during frequency conversion. Typically, frequency conversion is performed using LBO (Lithium Triborate), BBO (Beta Barium Borate) or KTP (Potassium titanyl phosphate) crystals to to achieve the desired wavelengths (UV-NIR) as listed in the table below:

3photon offers coatings to enhance the performance of both the Nd: YVO4 crystal and the non-linear optical crystal of your choice.

Since Nd:YVO4 has a broad absorption band centred at 808 nm, lower-precision (more affordable) diodes can be used for pumping, making Nd:YVO4 lasers less expensive than those using Nd:YAG.

Additionally, this wide absorption band, along with a ~5 times higher absorption coefficient than Nd:YAG, enables the construction of more compact lasers.

Nd:YVO4 vs. Nd:YAG

Advantages

• The emission cross-section of Nd:YVO4 at 1064 nm is several times larger than that of Nd:YAG.
• The emission cross-section of Nd:YVO4 at 1342 nm is over ten times larger than that of Nd:YAG. If you are designing pulsed or continuous-wave lasers, 3photon recommends considering Nd:YVO4 as a laser medium over Nd:YAG.
• Nd:YVO4 has a higher absorption coefficient than Nd:YAG. When using the same 808 nm diodes, Nd:YVO4 enables operation at lower powers, extending the diode lifespan.

Disadvantages

• The upper-state lifetime of Nd:YVO4 is approximately 2.5 to 3 times shorter than that of Nd:YAG. This characteristic makes it challenging—and sometimes impossible—to achieve the high pulse energies attainable with Nd during Q-switching.

3photon recommends using Nd:YVO4 crystals for constructing 1342 nm lasers or when a lower lasing threshold is required for 1064 nm applications.