Spectroscopic and photoluminescence characteristics of Dy ions in lead containing sodium fluoroborate glasses for laser materials

Lead containing calcium zinc sodium fluoroborate (LCZSFB) glasses doped with different concentrations of trivalent dysprosium ions were prepared and investigated by the XRD, FTIR, optical absorption, photoluminescence and decay curve analysis. The experimentally determined oscillator strengths have been determined by measuring the areas under the absorption peaks and the Judd–Ofelt (J–O) intensity parameters were calculated using the least squares fit method. From the evaluated J–O parameters the radiative transition probability rates, radiative lifetimes and branching ratios were calculated for ⁴F_9/2 excited level. Room temperature photoluminescence spectra for different concentrations of Dy³⁺-doped LCZSFB glasses were obtained by exciting the glass samples at 386 nm. The intensity of Dy³⁺ emission spectra increases with increasing concentration of 0.1, 0.25, 0.5 and 1.0 mol% and beyond 1.0 mol% the concentration quenching is observed. The measuring branching ratios are reasonably high for transitions ⁴F_9/2→⁶H_15/2 and ⁶H_13/2, suggesting that the emission at 484 and 576 nm, respectively, can give rise to lasing action in the visible region. From the visible emission spectra, yellow–blue (Y/B) intensity ratios and chromaticity color coordinates were also estimated. The lifetimes of ⁴F_9/2 metastable state for the samples with different concentrations were also measured and discussed.     

Investigation of XeCl vibrational and quenching kinetics: Measurements of gain and laser spectra in a discharge-pumped oscillator module

The small signal gain, amplified spontaneous emission and laser spectra of a transverse discharge-excited XeCl laser have been measured. Several gas mixtures, total gas pressures and electron densities have been investigated. From these measurements it is concluded, that bound-free transitions and transitions to high-lying vibrational levels of the ground state contribute significantly to the gain and laser emission. For the upper laser level a vibrational population ratio [XeCl(B, =1)]/[XeCl(B, =0)] corresponding to a temperature of about 370 K has been determined. The intensity ratio of about 1 observed for the two laser lines may be explained by the vibrational and quenching kinetics of the lower laser level together with the upper state kinetics. A table summarizing the result of the small gain measurement has been included for model comparison.     

Stimulated emission of a laser photon by the excited states of a three-level atom

We study the stimulated emission spectra arising from the emission of a laser photon by two excited states of a three-level atom interacting with a laser field at low intensities. The lifetimes of the stimulated photons emitted by the two excited states are much longer than those emitted spontaneously, while the intensities of the induced peaks take negative values indicating that amplification occurs at low frequencies. The ratio of the intensities of the light emitted by the excited states |3 > and |2 > of the atom is proportional to (₃/₂)^1/2, where ₃ and ₂ are the radiative decay rates of the spontaneously emitted photons by the excited states |3 > and |2 > into the ground state |1 > of the atom, respectively. An absorption spectrum is induced into the ground state of the atom by the laser field. The competition between induced absorption and stimulated emission at low frequencies without population inversion is considered in the low-intensity limit of the laser field. It is shown that for values of ₃/₂ > 1 the relative intensity (height) of the induced peak takes positive values implying that the process of the induced absorption dominates. As the ratio ₃/₂ increases, the height of the induced peak decreases and vanishes for values of ₃/₂ < 400. For values of ₃/₂ > 400, the height of the induced peak becomes negative indicating that the process of the stimulated emission (amplification) is likely to occur at low frequencies. The computed spectra are graphically presented and discussed.Issued as NRCC No. 39088     

QUANTUM EFFICIENCY AND MULTIPHONON NONRADIATIVE TRANSITION OF Er3+ IONS IN FLUORIDE GLASS

Optical absorption, emission and excitation spectra, lifetimes of ⁴S_3/2 state and ⁴F_9/2 state from 10K to 500K, and Raman spectra were measured for Er³⁺ ions in fluoride glass. The radiative transition probabilities were calculated on the basis of Judd-Ofelt theory. The nonradiative transition probabilities and the quantum efficiencies were determined by calculating the difference between the measured lifetimes and the calculated radiative transition probabilities. The temperature dependence of nonradiative transition provavility was investigated using the Huang-Rhys theory of multiphonon relaxation , in which two kinds of phonons as well as the parameter s were taken into consideration. A fairly good agreement of the theoretical calculation with the experimental results has been obtained. The value of s is estimated and the effect of s is discussed.     

Spectroscopic analysis of Pr3+:CaYAlO4 crystal

The polarized absorption, emission spectra and decay time measurements of Pr³⁺-doped CaYAlO₄ single crystal have been performed at room temperature. Based on the Judd–Ofelt theory, the spectroscopic parameters \(\Upomega_{t} (t = 2,4,6)\) , radiative transition probabilities, radiative lifetimes and branching ratios were obtained. The stimulated emission cross-section, fluorescence lifetimes and the quantum efficiency of the promising laser transition were also calculated and compared with other reported crystals. The results show that Pr³⁺:CaYAlO₄ is a promising candidate for visible solid-state laser emission.     

Prospects for production of ultracold $\mathsf{X^{1}\Sigma^{ + }}$ RbCs molecules

Recently, we have reported photoassociation of laser-cooled Rb and Cs atoms, decay of the RbCs photoassociation resonances to high levels of the state, and reexcitation to vibronic levels of the state [Kerman et al. , Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 033004; 153001 (2004)]. Considering the reexcitation spectrum, we report here a preliminary analysis of perturbations in the c state by high levels of the and low levels of the state. Mixing with the B state provides the singlet character needed to stimulate decay to v = 0 of the ground state. We conclude that an experimental procedure that involves photoassociation of laser-cooled atoms, radiative decay, and stimulated Raman transfer to the ground electronic state is a feasible method for producing translationally, rotationally, vibrationally and electronically cold RbCs molecules. Electronic supplementary material to this article is available at and is accessible for authorized users. Received: 1 September 2004, Published online: 23 November 2004 PACS: 33.80.Ps Optical cooling of molecules; trapping - 34.50.Gb Electronic excitation and ionization of molecules; intermediate molecular states (including lifetimes, state mixing, etc.) - 33.20.Kf Visible spectra - 34.20.-b Interatomic and intermolecular potentials and forces, potential energy surfaces for collisions - 33.15.Pw Fine and hyperfine structure A supplementary table (Tab. I) is only available in electronic form at http: //www.eurphysj.org     

Luminescence Study of cis- and trans-Stilbenes in the Sol-Gel System

The emission spectra of cis- and trans- stilbene molecules doped in sol-gels(tetraethoxysilane system) have been measured during the sol-gel transformation. Changes in the emission spectra of both molecules were observed as the system changed from sol stage to dried glass over a period of 14 days. Our results indicate that the motion of the cistrans photoisomerization decreases in accord with the rigidity changes of the surrounding system. Although the transcis photoisomerization was not observed in the sol-gel system, the twisting motion of the single bond between the phenyl group and the ethylene moiety during the photoexcitation was detected in this system. The existence of the transient intermediates will be discussed to interpret the subtle changes of the emission spectra of the stilbene molecules encapsulated in the sol-gel system.     

NaK 22Σ+ → 11Σ+ band optically pumped laser near 1.02 μm

Optically pumped laser emission has been observed on the NaK 2(A)¹⁺ 1(X)¹⁺ electronic state transition. The emission occurs between 1.015 and 1.035 m when a sodium-potassium heat-pipe oven is pumped with 695–745 nm pulsed dye laser radiation. The laser emission occurs on many ro-vibrational transitions without the use of cavity mirrors. However, the addition of a simple cavity increases both the number of observed lasing transitions and the amplitude of the emission on each line. We report our results for the dependence of the emission intensity on pump laser power, oven temperature, and buffer gas pressure.     

Lifetime measurements in Tm I,Tm II,and Tm III by time-resolved laser spectroscopy

Natural radiative lifetimes of eight levels in Tm I ( 4f ¹³5d6p and 4f ¹²5d6s ² configurations), two levels in Tm II ( 4f ¹²5d6s configuration) and three levels in Tm III (4f ¹²5d configuration) have been measured by using time-resolved laser spectroscopy. Free thulium atoms, as well as singly and doubly ionized ions, were obtained in a laser-induced thulium plasma and the investigated states were selectively populated by a single-step excitation process with a tunable narrow-band laser pulse. Received 20 August 2002 / Received in final form 7 January 2003 Published online 4 March 2003 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: huailiang.xu@fysik.lth.se     

Spectroscopic properties of Pr 3+ in anisotropic PbWO4 crystal

The polarized absorption spectra, polarized fluorescence spectra, and fluorescence decay curves of Pr³⁺ ions in anisotropic PbWO₄ single crystal, which was grown by the modified Bridgman method, were measured at room temperature. The standard and modified Judd–Ofelt theories, extended to anisotropic crystal, have been applied to analyze the spectra. The spectroscopic parameters, including the Judd–Ofelt intensity parameters _t(t=2,4,6), spontaneous emission probabilities, fluorescence branching ratios, radiative lifetimes, stimulated emission cross sections, and fluorescence quantum efficiencies, were estimated. The good spectroscopic properties show the possible application of the Pr³⁺-doped PbWO₄ crystal as solid-state and self-stimulated Raman laser materials. PACS 78.20.-e; 42.70.Hj     

Influence of the dipole-dipole interaction on velocity-selective coherent population trapping

We analyze the influence of the dipole-dipole interaction between ground and excited state atoms on atomic cooling by velocity-selective coherent population trapping. We consider two three-level atoms in the -configuration, interacting with two counterpropagating laser fields as well as with the electromagnetic vacuum modes. The elimination of these modes in the Born-Markov approximation results in spontaneous decay, which is essential in providing the momentum diffusion necessary for cooling, as well as a two-body dipole-dipole interaction between ground-and excited-state atoms. The corresponding two-body master equation is solved numerically by Monte-Carlo wave-function simulations. Our main result is that although a dark state survives the inclusion of dipole-dipole interactions, the presence of this interaction can significantly slow down the cooling process for sufficiently high atomic densities.Dedicated to H. Walther on the occasion of his 60th birthdayStrictly speaking, VSCPT is not a true cooling mechanism. The final atomic distribution cannot be characterized by a temperature, so that there is some ambiguity in characterizing the cooling efficiency. We return to this point in Sect. 3     

Thermoregulation and spectral selectivity of the tropical butterfly Prepona meander: a remarkable example of temperature auto-regulation

In butterflies favouring direct absorption of solar energy through their wings, the absorption by the black areas situated at the wing bases provides the body with the most part of the exogenous energy. For the studied butterfly (Archeoprepona meander), absorption is very high over the whole solar spectrum (0.95). This absorption is due to both the dendritic structure of the scales and the melanin pigments. In the infrared range, the absorptivity reveals two strong peaks at 3 m and 6 m and then remains more or less constant at a relatively high value (0.4) up to 25 m. This situation contains the outline for a remarkable self-regulation phenomenon of the radiative balance, allowing the stabilization of temperature in the survival area of the butterfly. The first absorption peak, centred on 3 m, i.e. between the solar irradiance and the thermal emission spectra, is not involved in the radiative balance at these temperatures. However, the second, on the edge of the emission spectrum, plays a key role as a thermal regulator. Its marginal situation is such that, according to the wing temperature, it overlaps or not the emission spectrum, modifying the collector efficiency, and thus the temperature. PACS 44.40.+a; 78.20.Ci; 78.40.-q     

Thermal and optical properties of Tm: Li6Gd(BO3)3 crystal: A potential candidate for 1.83 μm lasers

Single crystal of Tm³⁺: Li₆Gd (BO₃)₃ was grown by the Czochralski method. The heat capacity was measured from 308 to 673 K. The absorption spectra of the crystal in three mutually perpendicular arbitrary directions were measured at room temperature. Based on the Judd-Ofelt theory and the spectra measured in three mutually perpendicular directions, the intensity parameters Ω_t (t=2, 4, 6), the line strengths, the oscillator strengths, the radiative rates, radiative lifetimes and fluorescent branching ratios were calculated. We calculated the emission cross-section by the reciprocity method and also obtained the gain cross-section.     

QUANTUM EFFICIENCY AND MULTIPHONON NONRADIATIVE TRANSITION OF Er3+ IONS IN FLUORIDE GLASS

Optical absorption, emission and excitation spectra, lifetimes of ⁴S_3/2 state and ⁴F_9/2 state from 10K to 500K, and Raman spectra were measured for Er³⁺ ions in fluoride glass. The radiative transition probabilities were calculated on the basis of Judd-Ofelt theory. The nonradiative transition probabilities and the quantum efficiencies were determined by calculating the difference between the measured lifetimes and the calculated radiative transition probabilities. The temperature dependence of nonradiative transition provavility was investigated using the Huang-Rhys theory of multiphonon relaxation , in which two kinds of phonons as well as the parameter s were taken into consideration. A fairly good agreement of the theoretical calculation with the experimental results has been obtained. The value of s is estimated and the effect of s is discussed.     

Preequilibrium emission in (p,x n) reactions on palladium isotopes

Energy spectra of neutrons from the^{104, 105, 106, 108, 110}pd(p, xn) reactions atE _p=26.1 MeV have been measured using the time-of-flight technique with good overall energy resolution (< 250=" kev).=" the=" hard=" part=" of=" angle-integrated=" spectra=" corresponding=" to=" low=" residual=" excitations=">U6MeV) exhibits pronounced structure varying from isotope to isotope. The observed structure can be reasonably well described by preequilibrium-model calculations with two-quasiparticle state densities for proton-particle neutron-hole configurations based on Nilsson-model single-particle levels instead of equidistant ones. The influence of nuclear deformation and pairing on preequilibrium particle emission is explored.Supported in part by the exchange program of the Universities of Hamburg and Zagreb, Internationales Büro — KFA Jülich, and by the BMFT (Contract 06 HH 142)     

Optical properties of Er:SrMoO4 single crystal

Er³⁺:SrMoO₄ crystal of high optical quality was grown by the Czochralski method. The room temperature polarized absorption and emission spectra together with the lifetime decay curve were measured. Based on the Judd-Ofelt theory, three intensity parameters, radiative transition rates, radiative lifetimes and fluorescent branching ratios, were obtained. Emission cross-section and gain cross-section around 1.54 μm were also obtained.     

Systematic study of muon transfer to sulphur dioxide

In a systematic study of the transfer process to sulphur dioxide, in seven different H₂ + SO₂ gas mixtures, the time spectra of the muonic sulphur X-rays yield muon transfer rates to the SO₂ molecule, deduced from the lifetimes of the p atoms, which agree all well with each other. The muonic oxygen time spectra show an additional structure as if p atoms of another kind were present. Reduced transfer rates_O are reproducible if one uses the model of ephemeral p atoms. The intensity ratios between the different kinds of p atoms are also discussed in the framework of this model and the one of black and white p atoms.     

Spectral-Kinetic Properties of Laser Dyes in Active Elements on the Basis of Sol-Gel Matrices

The absorption and photoluminescence spectra as well as the photoluminescence lifetimes of laser dyes (Phenylamine 430, Rhodamine 6G, Rhodamine 6G zwitterion, Rhodamine 4C, and Rhodamine 101) in new matrices are studied. These matrices represent the hybrid of two types of porous glasses (microporous and sol-gel glass). Chemical transformations of the dye molecules in the matrices are not found. The dye dimers mentioned above are also absent for concentrations up to 10^-4 M. The luminescence efficiencies of the dyes in the matrix and in the ethanol solutions are compared. The difference in concentration dependences of the photoluminescence spectrum of Rhodamine 6G in the matrix and ethanol solution is found and discussed. The collective emission of the dyes in new matrices is observed at a power density of exciting radiation of 10²⁵ cm^-2s^-1 and a concentration of 10^-4 M. The energies and collective emission spectra of the dyes in the matrix are compared with those in the solutions.     

Kinetic energy distributions in pionic hydrogen

A framework for analyzing the Doppler broadening of the X-ray lines in pionic hydrogen is proposed. It is shown that the kinetic energy distributions at the instant of the (n = 2-4) radiative transitions are related to each other. In order to establish the connection, the collisional processes for pionic hydrogen scattering from hydrogen atoms and molecules have been calculated in different models. The proposed method can be used to determine reliably the strong interaction width of the ground state of pionic hydrogen from the X-ray line profiles measured recently at the Paul-Scherrer-Institut.Received: 6 August 2004, Published online: 28 September 2004PACS: 34.50.-s Scattering of atoms and molecules - 36.10.Gv Mesonic atoms and molecules, hyperonic atoms and molecules