YVO4

Yttrium orthovanadate, YVO4, is a chemically stable inorganic compound that serves as a widely used laser host material. In its pure form it crystallizes in the tetragonal scheelite structure and belongs to the ABO4 family of minerals, with yttrium occupying the A site and vanadium in VO4 tetrahedra that connect into a three-dimensional framework. The material is usually studied as a host for rare-earth dopants such as Nd3+ and Yb3+ to produce solid-state lasers and laser diodes. Doping with Nd3+ yields efficient 1064 nm emission; Yb3+ doping provides emission near 1 μm. Combined with low multiphonon relaxation, the host supports high quantum efficiency and good thermal handling.

Synthesis and crystal growth: YVO4 can be prepared by solid-state reaction of Y2O3 and V2O5 at elevated temperatures and then crystallized as large single crystals by flux growth or Czochralski techniques. The resulting crystals are transparent over a broad spectral range, from the visible into the near-infrared, and exhibit good optical quality for laser applications.

Properties: YVO4 has a wide optical transparency window, high refractive index, and thermal stability suitable for high-power operation. The tetragonal scheelite lattice yields anisotropic optical properties that influence polarized light propagation, which is relevant for laser design and nonlinear optics.

Applications: The most prominent use is as a laser host material (e.g., Nd:YVO4, Yb:YVO4). It is also used in nonlinear frequency conversion and as a research platform for transition-metal doped vanadates.

See also: Nd:YVO4, Yb:YVO4, scheelite.