Steady state and transient fluorescence studies of CaF2: Dy single crystals

The steady state and transient fluorescence spectra of CaF₂: Dy³⁺ have been studied using Ar⁺ and N₂ lasers in the temperature range 77–673 K and in the wavelength region 4500–9000 Å. The spectra show the presence of two types of centers (type A and type B) with decay times of 1.3 and 3.5 ms. The observed spectrum is mostly due to type A centers. Three new groups of fluorescence ⁴F_9/2−⁶H_11/2, ⁴F_9/2−(⁶H_9/2, ⁶F_11/2) and ⁴F_9/2−(⁶H_7/2, ⁶F_9/2) have been observed for type A centers, and a tentative assignment of the positions of the Stark levels of ⁶H_11/2, (⁶H_9/2, ⁶F_11/2) and (⁶H_7/2, ⁶F_9/2) has been made. The change in the intensity of the transitions with temperature and excitation wavelength are discussed.