Five atomic percent Yb:YAG laser crystals have been grown by Czochralski (CZ) and temperature gradient technique (TGT) method. The absorption spectra of as-grown and annealed Yb:YAG crystals have been investigated. There is no Yb2+ and color center absorption in TGT-grown Yb:YAG crystals; the absorption peak of CZ-grown Yb:YAG crystals after O-2-annealing at 255 nm is attributed to Fe3+ ions. The longitudinal distribution of Yb3+ ions has also been studied; TGT-grown Yb:YAG crystal has a larger distributing inhomogeneity of Yb3+ although it is large sized. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.