Growth and spectra properties of Nd3+-doped PbWO4 single crystal

X-ray diffraction analysis, emission under 808 nm excitation by laser diode, and fluorescence lifetime were investigated at room temperature on a series of Nd3+ doped PbWO4 (PWO) single crystals grown by modified Bridgman method. By using Judd–Ofelt (J–O) theory, the phenomenological intensity parameters (Ωt were calculated Ω2=7.53×10−20 cm2, Ω4=3.15×10−20 cm2, Ω6=3.06×10−20 cm2. On the base of the Ωt calculation, the intermanifold luminescence branching ratios βJJ′, irradiative lifetime of the 4F3/2 level, the absorption and emission cross section were calculated. Nd3+ doped PWO single crystal at a level 2.0 at.% shows efficient emission (950–1100 nm), whose 1.06 μm fluorescence was enhanced and fluorescence lifetime was increased after annealing treatment. The annealing mechanism was discussed.