Disordered
crystals have attracted immense attention for the generation
of ultrashort laser pulses due to their good thermomechanical characteristics
and wide emission bandwidths. In this work, a Gd-based orthophosphate
crystal, GdSr3(PO4)3, (GSP), and
a Nd3+-doped GdSr3(PO4)3 crystal, (Nd:GSP), were obtained by the Czochralski method. The
crystal structure, optical properties, electronic band structure,
laser damage threshold, and hardness of the GSP crystal were comprehensively
investigated. It exhibited a disordered structure due to the random
distribution of Sr and Gd atoms in the same Wyckoff site, which caused
inhomogeneous spectral broadening. Additionally, it exhibited a short
UV absorption cutoff edge (<200 nm), a large band gap (5.81 eV),
and a high laser damage threshold (∼1850 MW/cm2).
The spectral properties and Judd–Ofelt calculations of the
Nd:GSP crystals were analyzed. A wide absorption band at 803 nm, with
a full width at half-maximum value of 20 nm, makes the Nd:GSP crystal
suitable for the efficient pumping of AlGaAs laser diodes. Sub-100-fs
pulses could be supported by its 25 nm emission bandwidth. Hence,
the GSP crystal could be a promising disordered crystal laser matrix.