Thermal properties of monoclinic KLu(WO4)2 as a promising solid state laser host

Thermal analysis of the monoclinic solid state laser host KLu(WO4)(2) is presented. The specific heat was measured by the relaxation method in the temperature range from 1.9 to 385 K: its value at room temperature is 0.324 J/gK. The Debye temperature and the sound velocity amount to 303 +/- 3 K and 3734 m/s. The linear thermal expansion tensor was measured by X-ray powder diffraction from room temperature up to 773 K. The eigenvalues of this tensor are alpha(')(11)=8.98 x 10(-6) K-1, alpha(')(22)=3.35 x 10(-6) K-1, and alpha(')(33)= 16.72 x 10(-6) K-1, with the maximum value in the a-b crystallographic plane, at 31.94 from the N-g principal optical axis. The thermal diffusivity and its anisotropy in the temperature range between 300 and 500 K were measured by the pyroelectric method to determine the thermal conductivity tensor. The eigenvalues of the thermal conductivity are k'(11)=2.95 Wm(-1)K(-1), k'(22)=2.36 Wm(-1)K(-1), and k'(33)=4.06 Wm(-1)K(-1), with the maximum value along a direction again in the a-b crystallographic plane, at 40.75 from the Ng principal optical axis. Simulation of the temperature distribution in a bulk sample of KLu(WO4)(2) with dimensions 3 x 3 x 3 mm(3) shows that pump and laser beam directions along the N-p principal optical axis in terms of thermal effects are preferable because the propagation is along a quasi-isothermal path. (C) 2008 Optical Society of America.