ANISOTROPY OF OPTICAL ABSORPTION INTENSITY IN Tm3+ DOPED YVO4 CRYSTALS

Seven absorption group-bands (¹D₂, ¹G₄, ³F₂, ³F₃, ³H₄, ³H₅, ³F₄) of Tm³⁺ in YVO₄ single crystals have been observed in the orientation absorption spectra recorded in the spectral range from 200 to 4000 nm at 300K. The integrated absorption cross section for each group-band was accurately evaluated. On the assumption that the anisotropy of this uni-axial crystal is small, the Judd-Ofelt theory was extended for the calculation of 4f-4f transition intensities of Tm³⁺ in YVO₄. Two sets of phenomenological intensity parameters were derived from a least-squares-fit procedure. For c-axis cut sample we have Ω₂=10.18 (10^-20cm²), Ω₄=1.96 (10^-20cm²), Ω₆=0.75 (10^-20cm²).For a-axis cut sample we have Ω₂=8.20 (10^-20cm²), Ω₄=2.47 (10^-20cm²), Ω₆=0.91 (10^-20cm²). The anisotropy of the optical absorption intensities of Tm³⁺:YVO₄ was theoretically analyzed in detail.