Infrared absorption spectra of a Nd0.5Ho0.5Fe3(BO3)4 crystal

Infrared absorption spectra of a Nd_0.5Ho_0.5Fe₃(BO₃)₄ crystal in the spectral range of 30–1700 cm^–1 have been measured at temperatures from 6 to 300 K. The experimental spectra have been analyzed based on the semiempirical calculation of the lattice dynamics and the analysis of correlation diagrams of borate complexes. No changes associated with structural phase transitions have been detected in the temperature range of measurements; the effect of magnetic ordering on the infrared absorption spectra has not been observed.     

Spectroscopic properties and structure of the ErFe3(BO3)4 single crystal

Single crystals of the ErFe₃(BO₃)₄ borate were synthesized and their structure was studied. Absorption spectra of the Er³⁺ ion in σ- and π-polarizations of f-f transitions ⁴ I _15/2 → ⁴ I _13/2, ⁴ I _11/2, ⁴ I _9/2, ⁴ F _9/2, ⁴ S _3/2, ² H _11/2, and ⁴ F _7/2 were measured. The refractive index and birefringence were measured as a function of the wavelength. The transition intensities were analyzed within the Judd-Ofelt theory, and the following parameters of the theory were obtained: Ω₂ = 7.056 × 10^?20 cm², Ω₄ = 1.886 × 10^?20 cm², and Ω₆ = 2.238 × 10^?20 cm². Using these parameters, the radiative transition probabilities, luminescence branching ratios, and radiative lifetimes of multiplets were calculated.     

Magnetization and specific heat of DyFe3(BO3)4 single crystal

We present thermodynamic and magnetic studies of single crystalline DyFe₃(BO₃)₄. The data indicate an easy axis antiferromagnetic order below T_N~ 38 K which we attribute to the Fe subsystem. The Dy subsystem remains paramagnetic down to the lowest investigated temperatures of 2 K, but it is polarized by the Fe spins due to a f-d interaction. External magnetic field leads to a spin-flop transition in the iron subsystem as well as to superposed magnetization in the Dy subsystem. The repopulation of two low-lying Kramers doublets in Dy³⁺ ions results in well defined Schottky anomalies in specific heat and magnetization.     

Polarized absorption spectra of single-walled 4 A carbon nanotubes aligned in channels of an AlPO(4)-5 single crystal

We report the polarized optical absorption spectra of single-walled 4 A carbon nanotubes arrayed in the channels of an AlPO (4)-5 single crystal. When the light electric field (E) is polarized parallel to the tube direction (c), the spectra display a sharp peak at 1.37 eV, with two broadbands at 2.1 and 3.1 eV. In the E perpendicular c configuration, the tube is nearly transparent in the measured energy region 0.5-4.1 eV. The optical dipole selection rules are discussed, and the absorption bands are assigned to the dipole transitions between the Van Hove singularities. The measured absorption spectra agreed well with the ab initio calculations of band structure based on the local density function approximation.     

Polarized emission and absorption cross-section calculation in LiNbO3:Tm3+

Absorption and emission cross-sections are essential spectroscopic parameters that determine the performance of rare-earth solid state lasers and amplifiers. A precise characterization of such parameters is of great interest in order to proceed with the necessary optimization stage which will assure the development of photonic devices with high efficiency. In particular, in order to model Tm³⁺ infrared lasers under 800 nm pumping, the absorption and emission cross-sections associated with optical transitions involving the ³H₄ and ³F₄ manifolds are needed. In this work, the classical McCumber theory is applied to evaluate the polarized absorption and emission cross-sections of Tm³⁺ ions in LiNbO₃.     

Spectra energy levels and symmetry assignments of Sm3+ doped in YAl3(BO3)4 single crystal

Single crystals of YAl₃(BO₃)₄ doped with 5% Sm³⁺ were grown by spontaneous nucleation from K₂Mo₃O₁₀ and B₂O₃ flux. Photoluminescence spectra at room and low temperatures were measured. Four emission transitions have been observed from the ⁴G_5/2 excited state to the lower lying states ⁶H_5/2, ⁶H_7/2, ⁶H_9/2 and ⁶H_11/2 upon exciting the sample with 400 nm wavelength. Polarized absorption spectra in UV, visible and NIR regions were recorded for two light polarizations (π and σ) relative to the C₃ crystal axis.Energy levels scheme of the doping ion has been compiled after a careful analysis of the spectra by reproducing the observed transitions by means of theoretical calculations based on a Hamiltonian including the free-ion and the crystal-field (CF) terms. Free-ion and crystal-field analyses are performed based on a D₃ point-group symmetry Hamiltonian. A best fit between theoretical and experimental energy levels is obtained with a root-mean-square (rms) deviation of 16 cm^?1. The general trend of the crystal-field parameters of rare earth ions in YAB host is confirmed. The calculated N_V crystal-field strength parameter presents a linear variation with the rare earth ionic radii and with the 4fⁿ electron number.     

Spectroscopic properties of Tm3+/Ho3+ co-doped NaLa(WO4)2 single crystal

Tm³⁺/Ho³⁺ co-doped NaLa(WO₄)₂ single crystal was successfully grown by the Czochralski method. The crystal was characterized by room temperature absorption spectra, fluorescence spectra around 2 μm, up-conversion fluorescence and luminescence decay measurements. Spectroscopic properties related to the laser operation around 2 μm of Ho³⁺ ions have been evaluated. The energy level scheme and energy transfer processes of Tm³⁺ and Ho³⁺ were analyzed. The obtained spectroscopic results show the crystal is a potentially host for Ho³⁺ 2 μm infrared laser.     

Growth, spectroscopic characteristics and laser potential of Yb3+:Ca3La2(BO3)4 crystal

Crystal of Yb³⁺-doped Ca₃La₂(BO₃)₄ has been grown by the Czochralski technique. The room temperature absorption and fluorescence spectra of the crystal have been investigated. The result showed that this crystal exhibits broad absorption and emission with the FWHM of 11 nm at 978 nm and 66 nm FWHM at 1025 nm, respectively. The stimulated emission cross-section of Yb³⁺ ions were calculated using the reciprocity method and Fuchtbauer-Ladenburg method, respectively. The room temperature fluorescence decay curves of ² F _5/2 manifold of Yb³⁺ ions were recorded for both crystal and powder samples. The effect of radiation tapping on the spectroscopic properties is discussed. The result that the lifetime of the powder sample is shorter than that of the bulk sample demonstrates the existence of radiation trapping effect. The laser potentiality was also evaluated and the results show that this crystal is a good candidate for tunable and ultrashort pulse lasers.     

Polarized operation of Yb3+:YAl3(BO3)4 CW and mode-locked lasers

A diode-pumped Yb3+:YAl3(BOa)3(Yb:YAB) laser system was demonstrated with continuous wave (CW) and pulsed output. The polarized CW outputs and femtosecond mode-locked lasers with semiconductor saturable-absorber mirrors (SESAM) at the fundamental wavelength were measured. For the CW output, polarization ratios were 88.1% (for e-ray) and 87.2% (for o-ray). For the mode-locked system, polarization ratio reached 38.5%, and the repetition frequency was 117.6 MHz.     

Spectroscopy of phonon and vibronic states of YbAl3(BO3)4 single crystal

The polarized Raman and reflection spectra of a single crystal YbAl₃(BO₃)₄ at room temperature were studied. Raman active vibrational modes A ₁, E _TO, and E _LO are identified. In the Raman spectrum, we detected an intense line at a frequency of 1018 cm⁻¹, which refers to internal vibrations of the BO₃ group and is known to be promising for use in amplifiers based on stimulated Raman scattering. From the simulation of reflection spectra by the method of dispersion analysis the frequencies of A ₂ vibrational modes were determined. Intense bands observed in the low-temperature transmission spectra in the range of f-f transitions in the Yb³⁺ ion are attributed to electron-phonon transitions. The Raman lines are compared with electron-phonon lines in the transmission spectrum.     

VUV-UV-visible luminescence of Nd3+, Er3+ and Tm3+ in LiLuF4 single crystal host

An overlook of absorption and luminescence characteristics of Nd³⁺, Er³⁺ and Tm³⁺ centers in LiLuF₄ single crystal is provided. Single crystal doped with the mentioned RE ions were prepared by micro-pulling-down technique in the form of few cm long rods with the diameter of about 2 mm. Excitation and emission spectra and fast decay kinetics in VUV spectral region were measured at SUPERLUMI station at synchrotron DESY, Hamburg and characterization was further completed in UV-visible region at conventional spectrophotometers. Observed absorption and emission peaks are ascribed to the 5d–4f and 4f–4f optical transitions in the doped rare earth ions. Concentration dependence of the decay kinetics is discussed.     

Polarized absorption spectra of Co2+ in Na2Cd3Cl8 single crystals

Summary The polarized optical absorption spectra of Na₂Cd₃Cl₈: Co²⁺ in the range of 15 000 to 40 000 cm⁻¹ down to 15 K are reported. The Co²⁺ ion is found to occupy the Cd²⁺ sites in octahedral geometry and the spectra are interpreted satisfactorily in terms of a cubic ligand field model including spin-orbit coupling. The observed crystal field spectra are well reproduced withB=745 cm⁻¹,C=3410 cm⁻¹,Dq=700 cm⁻¹ and ζ (spin-orbit interaction) =520 cm⁻¹. No spectral evidence for tetragonal distortion is observed.     

Crystal growth,spectroscopic characterization and laser operation of Tm3+ and Ho3+ codoped LiLuF4 crystal

Laser crystal Tm³⁺ and Ho³⁺ codoped LiLuF₄ with high optical quality was grown by Czochralski technique. Its absorption and fluorescence spectra were investigated. A continuous wave output power of 1.12 W at 2066 nm was obtained with a slope efficiency of 24% by use of diode pumping. In the Q-switched mode, a slope efficiency of 18.9% and a maximum average power of 0.65 W were obtained.     

Tm3+掺杂硅酸镓镧(La3Ga5SiO14)晶体的结构与光学性能研究

利用X射线粉末衍射确定了Tm3+掺杂硅酸镓镧(La3Ga5SiO14,LGS)晶体的晶体结构;运用DICVOL91程序计算了该晶体不同部位的晶胞参数;测定了Tm:LGS晶体的室温吸收谱和470 nm光激发下的发射光谱;根据Judd-Ofelt理论拟合了Tm3+的三个晶场调节参数Ωt(t=2,4,6),分别为2.694×10-20 cm2,1.842×10-20 cm2,0.030 × 10-20 cm2;计算了各个能级跃迁的谱线强度、振子强度、吸收截面等,进而计算了3H4和3F4态的自发跃迁概率、辐射寿命、荧光分支比和积分发射截面,并对结果进行了分析.     

Antiferromagnetic resonance and magnetic anisotropy in single crystals of the YFe3(BO3)4-GdFe3(BO3)4 system

The antiferromagnetic resonance in single crystals of the YFe₃(BO₃)₄-GdFe₃(BO₃)₄ system is studied in the frequency range 25–140 GHz and the temperature range 4.2–50.0 K. It is established that the YFe₃(BO₃)₄ crystal containing only the magnetic subsystem of Fe³⁺ ions is an antiferromagnet with an easy anisotropy plane. The temperature dependences of the gaps in the antiferromagnetic resonance spectra of GdFe₃(BO₃)₄ and Y _x Gd_{1 ? x} Fe₃(BO₃)₄ are used to calculate the contributions of the Fe³⁺ and Gd³⁺ subsystems to the magnetic anisotropy of these crystals. The contributions are found to be close in magnitude and have opposite signs. This leads to a relatively weak uniaxial anisotropy field in the crystals under investigation. Since the exchange interaction between the Gd³⁺ and Fe³⁺ ions magnetizes the magnetic subsystem of gadolinium, both subsystems start to contribute simultaneously at the Néel temperature of the iron subsystem.     

Relaxation of excited states of Tm3+ and Tm3+-Eu3+ energy transfer in YVO4 crystal

Tm³⁺-Eu³⁺ energy transfer processes and relaxation dynamics of the ³ H ₄ and ³ F ₄ excited states of Tm³⁺ ions in 1 at. % Tm³⁺, 5 at. % Eu³⁺:YVO₄ single crystal were studied. Contribution of Tm³⁺-Eu³⁺ energy transfer reduces effectively the lifetime of terminal level in a potential ³ H ₄–³ F ₄ laser transition at around 1.48 μm. Adverse quenching of the ³ H ₄ emission by Eu³⁺ ions is found to be less efficient than that reported for Tm³⁺ + Tb³⁺ system in YVO₄. The classical Inokuti–Hirayama model accounts well for an experimental decay curve of the ³ H ₄ emission recorded for co-doped crystal. Stimulated emission cross section for ³ H ₄–³ F ₄ transition of Tm³⁺ at around 1.48 μm was analyzed taking into account the anisotropy of YVO₄ crystal. PACS 42.55.Xi; 42.62.Fi     

Growth and spectral properties of Tm3+-doped NaGd(WO4)2 crystal

Thulium doped sodium gadolinium tungstate crystals with sizes of about 20 mm×45 mm were grown successfully by the Czochralski technique along the (001) orientation. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) of sodium gadolinium tungstate was described and the linear thermal expansion coefficients for the c- and a-axes were measured as 1.60×10^-5 and 7.89×10^-6 °C^-1. Polarized absorption spectra, and fluorescence spectra, as well as fluorescence decay curves of Tm³⁺-doped NaGd(WO₄)₂, have been recorded at room temperature and used to calculate the absorption and stimulated emission cross-sections. Based on the Judd–Ofelt theory, three intensity parameters were obtained. The luminescent quantum efficiency of the ³ H ₄ level was determined to be approximately 65% for this material. The emission cross-section of the ³ F ₄→³ H ₆ IR transition at about 1.8 μm was estimated by the reciprocity method. PACS 78.55.Hx; 65.40.De; 78.20.-e     

Vibrational spectra and elastic,piezoelectric, and magnetoelectric properties of HoFe3(BO3)4 and HoAl3(BO3)4 crystals

Raman spectra of light are obtained for HoFe₃(BO₃)₄ and HoAl₃(BO₃)₄ crystals at various temperatures and are used for determining the frequencies of crystal lattice vibrations at the center of the Brillouin zone. It is also found that the HoFe₃(BO₃)₄ crystal exhibits a phase transition at T _c ≈ 366 K. The magnetoelectric effect in the paramagnetic phase of these compounds is studied experimentally. The lattice vibration frequencies, elastic and piezoelectric moduli, Born dynamic charges, and the high-frequency permittivity are calculated using the density functional method. A peculiar behavior of the transverse acoustic vibration branch is observed in the Γ → Z direction of the Brillouin zone of the HoFe₃(BO₃)₄ crystal. The electric polarization induced by an external field is estimated using the calculated values of piezoelectric moduli and experimental values of magnetostriction.