Crystal fields and intensities of triply ionized rare-earth ions in cubic lanthanum oxyfluoride: an efficient /sup 4/F/sub 3/2/. -->. /sup 4/I/sub 9/2/ LaOF:Nd laser

Journal Article · Tue Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1981 · J. Opt. Soc. Am.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1364/JOSA.71.001463· OSTI ID:5770693

Deb, K K; Buser, R G; Morrison, C A; Leavitt, R P

We report the first known completely a priori attempt to predict crystal-field splittings and luminescence properties of rare-earth impurity ions in a host crystal. Starting with the reported crystal structure, we calculate crystal-field parameters B/sub k/m (from the three-parameter theory) and intensity parameters ..cap omega../sub lambda/ (from the Judd-Ofelt theory) for the 4 f/sup n/ configurations of the thirteen rare-earth ions Ce/sup 3 +/ through Yb/sup 3 +/ in cubic lanthanum oxyfluoride. The Stark-splitting schemes of the /sup 4/F/sub 3/2/, /sup 4/I/sub 9/2/, and /sup 4/L/sub 11/2/ levels of Nd/sup 3 +/ in LaOF are presented, and possible laser emissions originating from the /sup 4/F/sub 3/2/ level are examined. Multiplet-to-multiplet and line-to-line fluorescence branching ratios are given and compared with those calculated for existing Nd/sup 3 +/ lasers. It is predicted that cubic LaOF that is doped with Nd/sup 3 +/ may be a promising tunable, efficient laser material in the wavelength region from 850 to 950 nm, corresponding to optical transitions from /sup 4/F/sub 3/2/ to /sup 4/I/sub 9/2/.

• Research Organization: United States Army Night Vision and Electro-Optics Laboratory, Laser Division, Fort Belvoir, Virginia 22060
• OSTI ID: 5770693
• Journal Information: J. Opt. Soc. Am.; (United States), Vol. 71:12
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
LANTHANUM COMPOUNDS
CRYSTAL FIELD
NEODYMIUM LASERS
LUMINESCENCE
AMPLITUDES
ENERGY-LEVEL TRANSITIONS
LASER RADIATION
OXYFLUORIDES
RARE EARTHS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTS
FLUORINE COMPOUNDS
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
LASERS
METALS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RADIATIONS
RARE EARTH COMPOUNDS
SOLID STATE LASERS
420300* - Engineering- Lasers- (-1989)