Neodymium and gadolinium diffusion in yttrium vanadate

The thermal diffusion of Nd3+ and Gd3+ ions in YVO4 is characterized, yielding diffusion rates of 7 X 10(-19) and 44 X 10(-19) m(2) s(-1), respectively, at 1400degreesC 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 N3+-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 characterization is a significant first step toward fabrication of waveguide lasers and amplifiers in this important laser material. (C) 2002 Optical Society of America.