High-quality Nd-doped YVO4 single crystals were grown by the developed edge-defined film-fed growth (EFG) method. The optical properties according to Nd concentration in the YVO4 single crystals have been observed by the measurements of absorption and photoluminescence (PL) spectra. The absorption and PL intensities were varied according to the Nd concentration in the melt, and the variations were caused by the population inversion and self-quenching, respectively. The highest absorption peak appeared around 596 nm and the PL intensity at 879 nm was the highest. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.