Nd-doped YVO4 single crystals were grown along < 100 >(tetra) by the anisotropic heating floating zone (AHFZ) method. The relationship between the lamp power ratio (P-C/P-A) and the aspect ratio (c/a-axis diameter, D-C/D-A) of the grown crystals was investigated. D-C/D-A increased from 1.01 to 1.52 with increasing P-C/P-A from 0.7 to 1.5. The crystals grown by the AHFZ method developed a cylindrical shape with decreasing P-C/P-A, whereas those grown by a conventional FZ method developed an elliptical cylinder shape. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.