On the investigation of magnetic critical phenomena in ferromagnets by μSR and PAC

On the basis of current theoretical views on the critical phenomena in isotropic Heisenberg ferromagnets the power temperature behavior Λ=c(τ)λ₀τ^-w has been derived for the muon spin relaxation rate Λ as π-T _c ⁻¹ (T-T _c ) → 0⁺. It is shown that the crossover from an exchange critical regime to a dipolar one is accompanied not only with the change in the critical exponentw in the above law, but also with the reduction of the coefficientc(π). A comparison with the temperature behaviour of the inverse nuclear relaxation timet _R ⁻¹ measured in the PAC experiment is carried out.     

Infrared-to-visible up-conversion emissions and thermometric applications of Er 3+-doped Al 2 O 3

Er³⁺-doped Al₂O₃ has been prepared by a sol–gel method, using aluminium isopropoxide [Al(OC₃H₇)₃]-derived Al₂O₃ sols with addition of erbium nitrate [Er(NO₃)₃·5H₂O]. The phase structure of θ-(Al,Er)₂O₃ phase was obtained for the 0.1 mol. % Er³⁺-doped Al₂O₃ at the sintering temperature of 1273 K. The green and red up-conversion emissions centered at about 523, 545 and 660 nm, corresponding respectively to the ² H _11/2, ⁴ S _3/2→⁴ I _15/2 and ⁴ F _9/2→⁴ I _15/2 transitions of Er³⁺, were detected by a 978-nm semiconductor laser diode excitation. The temperature dependence of green up-conversion emissions was studied over a wide temperature range of 295–725 K, and reasonable agreement between the calculated temperatures obtained by the fluorescence intensity ratio theory and the measured temperature was obtained, which proved that Er³⁺-doped Al₂O₃ has a good potential for the development of high-temperature sensors. It has some advantages compared to glasses due to its higher thermal and mechanical resistance and allows measurements in a large temperature range. PACS 78.55.Hx; 81.40.Tv     

Precise Quadrupole Moment of the Doubly Closed Shell Plus One Proton Nucleus 41Sc

In order to precisely determine the |eqQ(⁴¹Sc)/h| of ⁴¹Sc(I ^π=7/2⁻, T _1/2=0.596 s) implanted in a TiO₂ single crystal the electric field gradient tensor and anisotropic chemical shift were determined by detecting the Fourier Transformed Pulse-NMR of ⁴⁵Sc(I ^π=7/2⁻, stable) in the crystal at a high field of 7.0 T and 9.4 T. Combining the new |eqQ(⁴¹Sc)/h| value with the Q(⁴⁵Sc)=−(23.6±0.2) fm², also renewed by using the known atomic hyperfine interaction constants and Sternheimer polarization effect, the |Q(⁴¹Sc;I ^π=7/2⁻,T _1/2=0.596 s)|=(15.6±0.3) fm² has been precisely determined. The value is compared with the theoretical Q(⁴¹Sc) given by a shell model code. This revised version was published online in September 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Growth, polarized spectral properties, and 1.5–1.6 μm laser operation of Er:Yb:Sr3Gd2(BO3)4 crystal

An Er:Yb:Sr₃Gd₂(BO₃)₄ crystal was grown by the Czochralski method. The polarized spectral properties of the crystal were investigated, including the polarized absorption and fluorescence spectra and fluorescence decay. The fluorescence quantum efficiency of the upper laser level ⁴I_13/2 of Er³⁺ ions and the efficiency of the energy transfer from Yb³⁺ to Er³⁺ ions were calculated. End-pumped by a diode laser at 970 nm in a hemispherical cavity, a 1.6 W quasi-cw laser at 1.5–1.6 μm with a slope efficiency of 18% and an absorbed pump threshold of 5.9 W was achieved in a 1.8-mm-thick Z-cut Er:Yb:Sr₃Gd₂(BO₃)₄ crystal. This crystal has a flat and broad gain curve at 1.5–1.6 μm and so is also a potential gain medium for tunable and short pulse lasers.     

Precise measurement of the magnetic moment of17F(I x =5/2+,T 1/2=64.5 s) and its hyperfine interactions in ionic crystals

Hyperfine interactions of β-emitting¹⁷F implanted in single crystals of NaF and CaF₂ were studied. The nuclear magnetic moment of theT ^π=5/2⁺ state was determined with an improved precision to be |μ(¹⁷F;π=5/2⁺,T _1/2=64.5s|=4.72130±0.00025. nm. Isoscalar magnetic moments of the doubly closed shell ±1 nucleon nuclei around mass number 16 were derived and the effective nucleon mass in the nucleus was discussed.     

Visible luminescence of nanocrystalline AlN:Er thin film by co-deposition of AlN,Er, and SiO2

We report a visible luminescence of Er³⁺ ions in an amorphous-nanocrystalline AlN:Er thin film prepared by co-deposition using AlN, Er, and SiO₂ targets. A PL emission spectrum of Er³⁺ in the AlN:Er film annealed at 750 °C showed a strong bluish green emission of Er³⁺ in the amorphous-nanocrystalline AlN:Er thin film, which is attributed to the intra-4fEr³⁺ transitions of ²H_11/2 → ⁴I_15/2 and ⁴F_7/2 → ⁴I_15/2. It was found that crystallite diameters were between 3 and 5 nm by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The occurrence of the strong Er³⁺ emission in the annealed AlN:Er thin film with a mixture of amorphous and nanocrystalline phases may be contributed to an increase in the number of excitation Er³⁺ centers and a presence of oxygen related to Er³⁺ excitation and recombination process in the AlN:Er thin film.     

New investigation of the decay of the high-spin isomer in 151Er

The decay of the T _1/2 = 420 ns isomer in ¹⁵¹Er has been reinvestigated. The multipolarities of the decaying transitions have been established by measuring the electron conversion coefficients. An I ^π = 67/2⁻ assignment is proposed for this isomer with a π[h ₁₁^2/4 d ₃^2/1 d ₅^2/−1]⊗ν[f _7/2 h _9/2 h ₁₁^2/−1] configuration.     

Growth and Spectroscopic Properties of Er:Yab Single Crystals

The Er-doped YAB (YAl₃(BO₃)₄) is a potential self-frequency-doubling laser material. Single crystals were grown by the top-seeded flux method. The absorption spectra of the infrared Er^3? transitions were monitored in YAB crystals in the 9–300 K temperature range by high-resolution Fourier transform spectroscopy. In the whole spectral range the energy levels and Stark components of 12 transitions were detectable. In this paper the two infrared transitions (from the ⁴I_15/2 ground state to the ⁴I_13/2 and ⁴I_11/2 levels) were analyzed in detail. The low temperature absorption spectra of Er:YAB consist of sharp lines, the number of which corresponds to the theoretical predictions. This suggests that Er^3? ions occupy one specific lattice site (yttrium positions) with negligible aggregation at the higher dopant concentrations investigated (i.e. 0.12 Fr atom/YAB mole).     

The microscopic interaction parameters for Er/Ho energy transfer in tellurite glasses

We investigate the energy transfer between Er³⁺/Ho³⁺ in tellurite glasses. The main channels of energy transfer between Er³⁺/Ho³⁺ are analyzed in detail. The microscopic interaction parameters of resonant and non-resonant (phonon-assisted) energy transfer parameters via Er³⁺→Ho³⁺ are calculated. The result shows that the resonant energy transfers Er³⁺(²H_11/2(⁴S_3/2))→Ho³⁺(⁵F₄(⁵S₂)) and Er³⁺(⁴F_9/2)→Ho³⁺(⁵F₅) are very efficient and non-resonant energy transfers Er³⁺(⁴I_13/2)→Ho³⁺(⁵I₇) and Er³⁺(⁴I_11/2)→Ho³⁺(⁵I₆), which are a phonon-assisted energy transfer process because of energy mismatch are also existed and cannot be neglected.     

Excitation energy transfer between Er3+ and Tm3+ in LiNbO3

Conclusions Nonradiative energy transfer between similar and different rare-earth ions in LiNbO₃ has been evidenced for the first time. The contribution of nonradiative energy transfer to the decay of the¹G₄ and³H₄ levels of thulium and the⁴S_3/2 and⁴I_13/2 levels of erbium is significant for activator concentrations of the order of several thousand ppm in LiNbO₃. The excitation of higher-lying levels of both activators is transferred faster in codoped crystal to the lowest luminescent levels, from which the luminescence in the 1–2-μm spectral region occurs. This accelerated relaxation is advantageous for broadband optical pumping since the contribution of radiative transitions competing with the³F₄−³H₆ laser transition of thulium is reduced. On the other hand, it appears that erbium ions will influence adversely the efficiency of a laser-diode-pumped LiNbO₃∶Er, Tm laser operating near 1.8 μm since the part of the³H₄ excitation transferred to erbium ions is emitted from the long-lived⁴I_11/2 level of Er³⁺. Furthermore, the⁴I_13/2 excitation is not transferred fully to thulium ions and is lost in⁴I_13/2−⁴I_15/2 emission. Lithium niobate singly doped with thulium is more promising since the cross-relaxation process that transfers the excitation from the³H₄ level to the³F₄ level appears to be efficient in this host. Published in Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 62, No. 5, pp. 125–133, September–October, 1995.     

Hyperfine Interaction of 140Ce(←140La) in CaB6

A ¹⁴⁰La(I ^π=3⁻, T _1/2=40.3 h)-doped layer has been produced in CaB₆ by means of radioactive isotope (RI) beam technique: ¹⁴⁰Cs(I ^π=1⁻, T _1/2=63.7 s) was implanted into CaB₆ and the radioactive equilibrium of ¹⁴⁰Ba–¹⁴⁰La was achieved. The concentration of La in CaB₆ was La/Ca ∼0.001. Obtained TDPAC spectra of the 2083 keV level of ¹⁴⁰Ce (I ^π=4⁺, T _1/2=3.4 ns, μ=+4.35±0.10 μ _N ) followed by the β decay of ¹⁴⁰La showed the existence of hyperfine magnetic fields: B _hyp=−15.0±0.5 T and −1.00±0.15 T. This revised version was published online in September 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

A μSR Study of Er Spin Dynamics in (Y1−x Er x )Ni2B2C Superconductors

Zero field μSR has been used to probe rare earth spin dynamics in the magnetic superconductors, Y_1−x Er _x Ni₂B₂C. The muon spin relaxation function is stretched exponential, exp (−(λt)^β), in form, as usually found for spin glass systems above the glass temperature. However, the Y_1−x Er _x Ni₂B₂C compounds show no evidence of coexisting superconducting and static spin glass ground states even at concentrations below the critical value (x=0.6) for long range antiferromagnetic order. The temperature dependence of both the muon spin relaxation rate λ and the exponent β suggests that Er spin dynamics change significantly at the superconducting transition temperature. This revised version was published online in September 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Precise measurement of magnetic moment of short-lived β-emitting nuclei12B ( I π=1+, T 1/2=20.18 ms)

The spin polarized β-emitting nuclei¹²B (I ^π=1⁺,T _1/2=20.18 ms) were produced by the nuclear reaction¹¹B(d, p)¹²B and by the selection technique of the incident deuteron energy and the¹²B recoil angle following the nuclear reaction. The nuclear magnetic moment of the short-lived nuclei¹²B was measured by β-NMR with the β-NMR and β-NQR setup established for the first time in China. The nuclear magnetic moment of¹²B was determined to be μ=0.99993±0.00048 nm org=0.99993±0.00048 after the precise correction of the Knight shift.     

Spectral properties and energy transfer of Yb,Er:GdVO4 crystal

GdVO₄ single crystal co-doped with Yb³⁺ and Er³⁺ was grown by the Czochralski method. The X-ray powder diffraction pattern of Yb,Er:GdVO₄ crystal confirms that the as-grown crystal is isostructural with pure GdVO₄ crystal. Its polarized absorption spectra and non-polarized fluorescence spectra were measured at room temperature. The absorption band at 984 nm for π-polarization has an FWHM of about 36 nm, which is favorable for InGaAs LD laser pumping. The spectrum properties of Er³⁺ in Yb,Er:GdVO₄ crystal were investigated based on Judd–Ofelt theory. There is strong energy transfer from Yb³⁺ to Er³⁺ in this crystal. When excited with 980 nm radiation, this crystal emitted strong fluorescence at about 1529 nm and 552.5 nm. The total energy transfer rate and efficiency from Yb³⁺ to Er³⁺ is 3.33 ms^-1 and 67%, respectively. The energy transfer between Er³⁺ and Yb³⁺ ions is a multistep transfer process, and was investigated based on a random-walk model. The investigation result shows that there is strong cooperative-sensitization effect from Yb³⁺ to Er³⁺, which is the main upconversion energy-transfer process in this crystal. PACS 42.70.Hj; 81.10.Fq; 42.55.Rz     

Spin-orbit coupling,spin-lattice relaxation,and spin-memory studies ofF-center-molecular-ion pairs in alkali halides

Summary The spin-orbit parameter Δ, spin-lattice relaxation timeT ₁, and spin-mixing parameter ɛ ofF _H(OH⁻) andF _H(CN⁻) centers in several alkali halides have been studied with magnetic circular dichroism at ∼2 K. A close comparison of the experimental results before and after optically induced association of theF center with the molecular ion has been made. In crystals of NaCl structure the negative spin-orbit parameter Δ changes little betweenF andF _H centers in the same host. For CsCl and CsBr two values of Δ have been derived forF _H(CN⁻) centers with axis parallel or perpendicular to the magnetic field. In all studied systems, the spin-lattice relaxation timeT ₁ is already shorter before aggregation compared toF formation. The spin-mixing parameter ɛ decreases slightly forF _H(OH⁻) compared toF centers, while it increases drastically forF _H(CN⁻) defects and reaches its maximum possible value ɛ=0.5 in cesium halides. First attempts to interpret these magneto-optical results will be presented. In honour of Prof. Fausto Fumi on the occasion of his retirement from teaching.     

Growth and spectral properties of Tm/Er:NaGd(MoO4)2 single crystal

The Tm³⁺/Er³⁺:NaGd(MoO₄)₂ crystal with dimensions of Φ22×30 mm³ was grown by Czochralski method. Polarized spectra and fluorescence lifetime for the ⁴I_13/2(Er³⁺)→⁴I_15/2(Er³⁺) transition at room temperature were investigated. Based on the Judd-Ofelt theory, the spontaneous transition probabilities, the fluorescent branching ratios and the radiative lifetimes were calculated. The fluorescence lifetime was measured to be 1.81 ms. The detailed excited-transition mechanism with 800 nm radiation is also discussed.     

Magnetic moment of beta-emitting41Sc(Iπ=7/2−) and knight shift in Pt metal

The nuclear magnetic moment of⁴¹Sc(I^π=7/2⁻, T_l/2=0.59sec) was remeasured, and the precision of the value was improved about 10 times compared with the previously known one. The value was determined to be |μ(⁴¹Sc;I^π=7/2)|=(5.4305±0.0018) nm. Comparing the value with the previously known NMR of the nuclei in Pt, the knight shift, K=−(0.4±5.3)·10⁻⁴ was determined.     

High spin states in153Er

High spin states in¹⁵³Er have been populated in the¹⁴⁴Sm(¹²C, 3n)¹³³Er reaction. Excitation functions, lifetimes, angular distributions,γ-γ coincidences and internal conversion coefficients were measured. Three isomeric states at 2.75 MeV (T _1/2=400 ns), 2.95 MeV (T _1/2～10 ns) and 5.2 MeV (T _1/2=200 ns) have been observed. A fourth isomer seems to be weakly excited above 6.8 MeV. The level scheme proposed is discussed in term of the nuclear shell model.     

Temperature dependence of the electric field gradient in Er metal

The method of perturbed angular distributions was used to measure the temperature dependence of the electric field gradient in Er single crystal for 98 KT156 K. The I=11^– isomer in Er¹⁵⁴) was used as a probe. ₀ increases monotonically for 98 KT259 K and then decreases. A possible cause for this effect may be short range interactions between the f electrons above the Neel point.Visitor from the Weizmann Institute, Rehovoth, Israel.     

High-spin isomers in 183Os

High-spin states in ¹⁸³Os have been studied by means of in-beam γ-ray spectroscopy. Two isomers with I ^π= ((43/2)⁻) and (43/2)⁺ have been identified at excitation energies of E _x = 5.068 and 5.168 MeV. The half-lives are determined as T _1/2= 27 ± 3 and 24 ± 2 ns. Received: 22 December 1997