Neodymium and gadolinium diffusion in yttrium vanadate

The thermal diffusion of Nd3+ and Gd3+ ions in YVO4 is characterised, finding diffusion rates of 7 x 10-19 and 44 x 10-19 m2s-1 respectively at 1400°C, and activation energies of 5.3 x 10-19 and 2.9 x 10-19 J respectively, for diffusion along the c-axis. The fluorescence properties of the Nd3+-diffused YVO4 agree well with those of bulk doped materials. The formation of a planar optical waveguide was also observed for one of the Nd3+-diffused samples. This characterisation is a significant first step towards fabrication of waveguide lasers and amplifiers in this important laser material