Nd3+-doped KGd(WO4)2 single crystals are investigated as laser media
and nonlinear Raman shifters. They have been grown by the top nucleated floating
crystal method. They were Maynly obtained as platelets with two large (010) faces
(i.e. perpendicular to the two-fold b'-axis of the monoclinic lattice). Their
spectroscopic properties are given at room and liquid helium temperature:
up-conversion fluorescence, absorption from the 4I9/2 ground state for an
extended Judd-Ofelt parameters analysis, absorption from the 4F3/2 excited state
near 1067 nm and Raman spectra have been measured in the direction of the b'-axis in
two orthogonal polarizations.