This paper reports the successful growth and characterization of LCOB and NdLCOB single crystals for nonlinear optical and laser applications. The crystals were obtained from their respective melts. The iso-structural nature of the crystals is identified from their X-ray diffraction results. The crystalline quality of the LCOB and NdLCOB single crystals was assessed using HRXRD analysis. The lower cutoff wavelength for both the crystals is at 210 nm. However, there are sharp absorption peaks in the spectrum of NdLCOB crystal, which are the characteristic absorptions of the neodymium (Nd3+) ion present in the crystal. The functional groups of the crystals were identified and assigned using the FTIR analysis. The dielectric loss measurements on the crystals reveal that the crystal contains minimum defects. The NdLCOB crystal emits at 1064 nm as evident from the PL measurements. The results of the specific heat and laser damage threshold studies are also discussed. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.