Luminescence study of the 4f5d configuration of Nd in LiYF4, LiLuF4 and BaY2F8 crystals

Ultraviolet fluorescence of Nd³⁺ ions induced by triphotonic excitation process was studied in Nd-doped LiYF₄, LiLuF₄ and BaY₂F₈ crystals using a technique of time-resolved spectroscopy. The observed ultraviolet luminescence was due to transitions between the bottom of 4f²5d configuration and 4f³ states of Nd³⁺ ions. Narrow emission lines superposed to the broadband emissions were observed. A detailed analysis of luminescence spectrum revealed that the narrow emissions are due to parity and spin allowed radiative transitions from the Stark levels of ⁴K_11/2(5d) state created by the electrostatic interaction between the 5d electron and the two electrons of the 4f² configuration. The narrow emissions are related to the high spin state (S=3/2) which gives f-f characteristics to the f-d broadband emissions. The narrow emissions superposed to the wide emission correspond to 18%, 34% and 43% of the integrated broadband emission at 262 nm observed in LiYF₄, LiLuF₄ and BaY₂F₈ crystals, respectively. Although the 5d-4f² interaction is observed to be weaker than 5d-crystal field interaction, it is stronger enough to select only the radiative transitions from 4f²5d configuration to 4f³ states that preserves the total spin S=3/2.     

Crystal fields of Pr in LiYF4 under pressure

Fluorescence spectra of LiYF₄:Pr³⁺ have been measured between 12,000 and 22,000 cm⁻¹ under pressures up to 10 GPa. In total, 25 crystal field energy levels were obtained and used for the determination of free-ion and crystal field parameters under pressure. According to the nephelauxetic effect, the free-ion parameters decrease with increasing pressure. The relative decrease is larger for the Slater than for the spin-orbit coupling parameter. This behavior is consistent with former studies on Pr³⁺ in different crystals and can be explained by a special covalency model. According to an effective D_2d symmetry, five crystal field parameters B₀²(f,f), B₀⁴(f,f), B₄⁴(f,f), B₀⁶(f,f), and B₄⁶(f,f) are non-zero. The pressure-induced changes of these parameters have been determined up to the maximum pressure of 10 GPa. In order to improve the calculation of the crystal field levels, the configuration interactions with the 4f¹6p¹ configuration have been taken into account. The effect of these interactions are also analyzed under pressure and distinct improvements of the energy level calculations have been obtained.     

Optical absorption, fluorescence and decay properties of Pr-doped PbO-H3BO3-TiO2-AlF3 glasses

Spectroscopic and laser properties of PbO-H₃BO₃-TiO₂-AlF₃ glasses doped with 0.1, 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 mol% of Pr₆O₁₁ have been studied. Optical absorption spectra were recorded in the UV-vis-NIR regions and the observed absorption bands were assigned to different electronic transitions from ³H₄ ground state of 4f² configuration. The three phenomenological Judd-Ofelt (J-O) parameters Ω_t (t=2, 4, 6) were determined from the measured oscillator strengths by including as well as excluding the ³H₄→³P₂ hypersensitive transition in J-O analysis. The emission characteristics such as stimulated emission cross-sections (σ_e), measured branching ratios (β_m), measured lifetimes (τ_m), quantum efficiencies (η) and gain parameters (σ_e×τ_m) have been evaluated for the principal intermanifold transitions of Pr³⁺ from the ³P₀ and ¹D₂ states to the lower lying manifolds in the visible region. From the emission and decay measurements, the effect of Pr³⁺ ion concentration on the quenching of the ¹D₂ measured lifetimes has been discussed.     

Luminescence properties of LiPrxCe1−xP4O12

LiPr_1−xCe_xP₄O₁₂ (x=0, 0.002, 0.02; 0.1) powder samples were prepared using the melt solution technique. Luminescent parameters of LiPr_1−xCe_xP₄O₁₂ phosphors have been investigated under ultraviolet-vacuum ultraviolet (3-12 eV) synchrotron radiation and X-rays excitation at room and near liquid He temperatures. Excitation luminescence spectra of Ce³⁺ emission, luminescent spectra and decay curves from the lower excited state levels of the 4f¹5d¹ and 5d¹ electronic configuration of the Pr³⁺ and Ce³⁺, respectively, clearly indicate energy transfer from Pr³⁺ to Ce³⁺. Energy migration proceeds via the Pr-sublattice followed by nonradiation transfer from Pr³⁺ to Ce³⁺ ions.     

Synthesis and characterization of a new monophosphate [2,5-(CH3)2C6H3NH3]H2PO4

Chemical preparation, calorimetric studies, crystal structure and spectroscopic investigations are given for a new noncentrosymmetric organic cation monophosphate [2,5-(CH₃)₂C₆H₃NH₃]H₂PO₄. This compound is orthorhombic P2₁2₁2₁ with the following unit-cell parameters: a=5.872(4), b=20.984(3), c=8.465(1) Å, Z=4, V=1043.0(5) Å³ and D_x=1.396 g cm⁻³. Crystal structure has been solved and refined to R=0.048 using 2526 independent reflections. Structure can be described as an inorganic layer parallel to (a,b) planes between which organic groups [2,5-(CH₃)₂C₆H₃NH₃]⁺ are located. Multiple hydrogen bonds connecting the different entities of compound thrust upon three-dimensional network a noncentrosymmetric configuration.     

Action du champ cristallin sur l'ion Er3+ dans l'oxysulfure de terre rare Er2O2S

The Er³⁺ electronic ion structure, in its 4f¹¹ configuration, has been determined by the optical absorption spectrum of Er₂O₂S. By the use of the Slater parameters F₂ = 424,4, F₄ = 66,1, F₆ = 6,87 cm^?1 and the Spin-orbit parameter ζ = 2367 cm^?1, the experimental ‘free-ion’ energy levels have been fitted with a r.m.s. deviation of 78 cm^?1. In intermediate coupling, the crystal field parameters V₂⁰ = 90, V₄⁰ = 175, V₄³ = 2365, V₆⁰ = 0,5, V₆³ = 205 and V₆⁶ = 180 cm^?1 give the best fit with experimental data. For 56 Stark levels involved the calculation predicts the splittings with a r.m.s. deviation of 12 cm^?1. The magnetic susceptibility has been calculated and is in satisfactory agreement with experimental powder measurements.     

Analysis of the ν2 and ν4 infrared bands of CD4

The infrared spectrum of totally deuterated methane CD₄ has been recorded between 930 cm^?1 and 1180 cm^?1 under high resolution (0.003 cm^?1). The ν₂ and ν₄ bands of ¹²CD₄ have been reanalyzed on the basis of a complete third-order Hamiltonian including all the coupling terms linking the upper states of the two bands. A set of only 16 self-consistent parameters have been adjusted to fit more than 1650 assigned transitions reaching a maximum upper state J value of 20. The obtained standard deviation is 0.0041 cm^?1. In addition, 171 lines of the ν₄ band of ¹³CD₄ have been assigned. They have been analyzed, in the same dyad scheme, by adjusting 7 parameters of the ν₄ band together with the main ζ₂₄ Coriolis parameter. The obtained standard deviation is only 0.0012 cm^?1.     

Analysis of the ν2 + ν3 band of 12CH4 and 13CH4

The ν₂ + ν₃ bands of ¹²CH₄ and ¹³CH₄ occurring in the region 4400–4650 cm^?1 have been studied from spectra recorded with a high-resolution Fourier transform spectrometer (resolution better than 0.01 cm^?1). Champion's Hamiltonian expansion, Canad. J. Phys.55, 1802 (1977), is applied to the problem of the two interacting F₁ and F₂ vibrational sublevels of this type of a band. As the P branch of ν₂ + ν₃ is strongly overlapped by neighboring bands, a combination-difference method, adapted to tetrahedral XY₄ molecules has been developed to help assignments of lines. A fit of 700 transitions has been performed using 13 new effective constants in the case of ¹²CH₄. In the case of ¹³CH₄, 532 transitions have been fit to 18 constants. The known parameters, relative to the vibrational ground state and the ν₃ state for both methanes, and the ν₂ state for ¹²CH₄ were fixed throughout. Most of the perturbed levels, up to J′ = 12, are well reproduced and the general agreement between experimental and calculated transitions is satisfactory with standard deviations of 0.047 cm^?1 (¹²CH₄) and 0.041 cm^?1 (¹³CH₄). The results (order of magnitude of obtained (ν₂ + ν₃) parameters and comparison of observed and computed intensities) indicate that the ν₂ + ν₃ band is perturbed by many other bands.     

Extended assignment and analysis of the ν2 and ν4 infrared bands of 12CH4

Infrared spectra of the ν₂ and ν₄ bands of ¹²CH₄ have been assigned up to J′ = 20 in the ν₄ band and J′ = 17 in the ν₂ band. Assignments are presented for over 1000 transitions ranging from 1123 to 1712 cm^?1, which involve 652 upper-state energy levels of the two bands. The 652 upper-state levels have been fitted with a weighted standard deviation of 0.0026 cm^?1, almost all levels being reproduced to within their experimental error, by a Hamiltonian for the coupled upper states containing 28 refining parameters and 4 fixed parameters. Calculated relative intensities are also tabulated and discussed in relation to recent experimental intensity measurements.     

The ν2, 2ν2, 3ν2, ν4, and ν2 + ν4 bands of 15NH3

The ir absorption of gaseous ¹⁵NH₃ between 510 and 3040 cm^?1 was recorded with a resolution of 0.06 cm^?1. The ν₂, 2ν₂, 3ν₂, ν₄, and ν₂ + ν₄ bands were measured and analyzed on the basis of the vibration-rotation Hamiltonian developed by V. ?pirko, J. M. R. Stone, and D. Papou?ek (J. Mol. Spectrosc.60, 159–178 (1976)). A set of effective molecular parameters for the ν₂ = 1, 2, 3 states was derived, which reproduced the transition frequencies within the accuracy of the experimental measurements. For ν₄ and ν₂ + ν₄ bands the standard deviation of the calculated spectrum is about four times larger than the measurements accuracy: a similar result was found for ν₄ in ¹⁴NH₃ by ?. Urban et al. (J. Mol. Spectrosc.79, 455–495 (1980)). This result suggests that the present treatment takes into account only the most significant part of the rovibration interaction in the doubly degenerate vibrational states of ammonia.     

Emission and excitation spectra of Bi2Ge3O9:Eu3+

The emission and excitation spectra of the Bi₂Ge₃O₉:Eu crystal are observed at 77 K and 297 K. The spectra contain groups of sharp lines which are attributed to the transitions within 4f⁶ (Eu³⁺) configuration. The numbers of Stark splitting of terminal levels of transitions from ⁵D₀ and ⁷F₀ multiplets indicate that Eu³⁺ substitutes for Bi³⁺ in Bi₂Ge₃O₉. Tentative assignment of Stark levels of ⁷F_0-4 multiplets is made to crystal quantum numbers of C₃ symmetry which represents the site symmetry of Bi³⁺ in Bi₂Ge₃O₉. The following set of values of crystal field parameters of the C₃ point group is found to give the best overall agreement between the observed energy levels and the calculated levels: B²₀ = -533.84 cm^-1, B⁴₀ = 1085.99 cm^-1, Re(B⁴₃) = 327.57 cm^-1, Im(B⁴₃) = 75.209 cm^-1, B⁶₀ = 185.02 cm^-1, Re(B⁶₃) = - 68.475 cm^-1, Im(B⁶₃) = - 300.45 cm^-1, Re(B⁶₆) = 137.24 cm^-1 and Im(B⁶₆) = 882.29 cm^-1.     

Analysis of the ν3 and ν1 infrared bands of GeH4

The high-resolution infrared spectrum of GeH₄ in the region 2020 to 2200 cm^?1 was analyzed. Most of the observed lines were assigned to transitions of the ν₃ and ν₁ bands of the five naturally occurring isotopic species. The spectrum was fitted by diagonalizing the v₃ = 1 and v₁ = 1 Hamiltonians coupled by the dominant vibration-rotation interaction term. For each isotopic species, about 100 transitions were fitted with an overall standard deviation of 0.006 cm^?1, using only 10 adjustable parameters. The five sets of parameters obtained are consistent with the expected isotope effects.     

Fourth-order invariant parameters for F2 isolated fundamental states of tetrahedral molecules: The study of the ν4 band of 12CH4

The ambiguity of effective Hamiltonians for triply degenerate F₂ states of tetrahedral molecules is studied on the basis of a set of 70 fits of experimental data for ν₄ of ¹²CH₄. The formalism of irreducible tensors of the paper by J. P. Champion and G. Pierre [J. Mol. Spectrosc.79, 255–280 (1980)] is used. It is shown that, in agreement with recent theoretical propositions [V. I. Perevalov, Vl. G. Tyuterev, and B. I. Zhilinskii, Dokl. Acad. Nauk SSSR263, 868–872 (1982)], any of q²J⁴ diagnonal coupling parameters may be changed significantly without noticeable variation in the quality of fits; reduced Hamiltonians having fewer numbers of adjusted parameters are first applied to describe the ν₄ energy levels of methane. With good accuracy, the behavior of fitted q²J⁴ parameters obey linear equations derived in the referred paper. A new set of q²J⁴-type diagonal coupling parameters [w₁, w₂, w₃; ?] for triply degenerate F₂ fundamental states is suggested. Parameters w_i are invariant under unitary transformations and can be used to refine molecular force field: their values are determined for ν₄ of ¹²CH₄.     

Diode laser line strength measurements of the (ν4 + ν5)0 band of 12C2H2

A diode laser spectrometer that was operated in sweep integration mode was used to measure individual line strengths for 17 R-branch transitions of the (ν₄ + ν₅)⁰ combination band of ¹²C₂H₂ at 7.4 μm. Analysis of these results gives a band strength S_v = 64.4 ± 2.0 cm^?2 atm^?1 at 296 K. Line-broadening parameters for several of these transitions were determined by using both N₂ and He as broadening gases.     

Optical absorption and emission properties of Nd in TeO2-WO3 and TeO2-WO3-CdO glasses

Effects of WO₃ and CdO on the spectroscopic properties of Nd³⁺ doped tellurite glasses were investigated. The optical band gaps and Urbach energies of the samples were determined using the dependence of the absorption coefficient on the photon energy. The Urbach energies were found to vary from 0.18 to 0.25 eV as the WO₃ content in the binary glasses decreased from 20.0 to 10.0 mol% while the optical band gap of the same glasses did not show an appreciable dependence on the glass composition. Judd-Ofelt (Ω_t) parameters were calculated from the optical absorption spectra measured at room temperature. In all the glasses the J-O parameters follow the same trend as Ω₂>Ω₆>Ω₄. The J-O intensity parameters were used to compute the radiative properties such as the radiative transition probabilities (A_ed), branching ratios (β) and radiative lifetimes (τ_r) for all the possible fluorescence bands. The fluorescence spectra obtained upon 805.2 nm excitation exhibited an intense emission band centered at 1064 nm (⁴F_3/2→⁴I_11/2) and two weak bands at 910 nm (⁴F_3/2→⁴I_9/2), and 1340 nm (⁴F_3/2→⁴I_13/2). The stimulated emission cross-section for the 1064 nm emission was determined using the emission spectra. The highest gain bandwidth (σ_e×Δλ_P) was determined to be 155.4 for the 0.79TeO₂-0.15WO₃-0.05CdO ternary glass composition, which could be more useful as promising material for the design and development of fiber amplifiers and lasers.     

Electrical properties of neodymium doped CaBi4Ti4O15 ceramics

Neodymium doped bismuth layer structure ferroelectrics (BLSFs) ceramics CaBi_4−xNd_xTi₄O₁₅ (x=0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75) were prepared by solid-state reaction method. X-ray diffraction pattern showed that single phase was formed when x=0-0.75. The refined lattice parameters showed that a (b) axes decrease at x=0.25 and increase with more Nd³⁺ dopant. The effects of Nd³⁺ doping on the dielectric and ferroelectric properties of CaBi₄Ti₄O₁₅ ceramics are studied. Nd³⁺ dopant decreased the Curie temperature linearly, and the dielectric loss, tan δ, as well. The remnant polarization of Nd³⁺ doped CaBi₄Ti₄O₁₅ ceramics was increased by 80% at x=0.25, while more Nd³⁺ dopant decreased the remnant polarization. CaBi_3.75Nd_0.25Ti₄O₁₅ ceramics had the largest piezoelectric constant d₃₃. The structure and properties of CaBi_4−xNd_xTi₄O₁₅ ceramics showed that Nd³⁺ may occupy different crystal locations when Nd³⁺ content x is less than 0.25 and more than 0.50.     

Simultaneous analysis of the ν1, ν4, 2ν2, ν2 + ν5, and 2ν5 infrared bands of 12CH3F

The Fourier-transform spectrum of CH₃F from 2800 to 3100 cm^?1, obtained by Guelachvili in Orsay at a resolution of about 0.003 cm^?1, was analyzed. The effective Hamiltonian used contained all symmetry allowed interactions up to second order in the Amat-Nielsen classification, together with selected third-order terms, amongst the set of nine vibrational basis functions represented by the states ν₁(A₁), ν₄(E), 2ν₂(A₁), ν₂ + ν₅(E), 2ν₅⁰(A₁), and 2ν₅^±2(E). A number of strong Fermi and Coriolis resonances are involved. The vibrational Hamiltonian matrix was not factorized beyond the requirements of symmetry. A total of 59 molecular parameters were refined in a simultaneous least-squares analysis to over 1500 upper-state energy levels for J ≤ 20 with a standard deviation of 0.013 cm^?1. Although the standard deviation remains an order of magnitude greater than the precision of the measurements, this work breaks new ground in the simultaneous analysis of interacting symmetric top vibrational levels, in terms of the number of interacting vibrational states and the number of parameters in the Hamiltonian.     

The fundamental band ν2 of D2CO

The ν₂ band of D₂¹³CO in the region of 1570-1760 cm⁻¹ has been analyzed with high accuracy. The limits of the quantum numbers J and K_a are 50 and 16, respectively. The number of the assigned transitions is 3858. A local anharmonic resonance ν₂/2ν₄ at K_a =  8-12 was observed. The Watson’s A-reduced Hamiltonian and anharmonic resonance term were fitted to the observed transitions. The fit resulted in the band center and rotational parameters of the ν₂ band as well as the effective parameters for the 2ν₄ band and anharmonic resonance parameter. The rms deviation of the transitions in the ν₂ band was 0.000364 cm⁻¹.     

Diode laser spectroscopy of the ν4 band of 13CD3I

The ν₄ band of ¹³CD₃I was recorded under Doppler-limited resolution in the region 2260–2296 cm^?1 using a tunable diode laser spectrometer. About 400 P and R transitions from KΔK = ?6 to KΔK = +6 were assigned, and seven Q branches from KΔK = ?4 to KΔK = +2 were partly resolved. Molecular constants for the ν₄ level were derived, including q₄ and η parameters. The ν₁ band of ¹³CD₃I was also recorded under a resolution of 0.05 cm^?1 using a grating spectrometer. The band origin as well as α₁^A and α₁^B constants were obtained.     

The crystal structures of the ion conductors (NH+4)Zr2(PO4)3and (H3O+)Zr2(PO4)3

The crystal structures of (NH⁺₄)Zr₂(PO₄)₃ and (H₃O⁺)Zr₂(PO₄)₃ have been determined from neutron time-of-flight powder diffraction data obtained at 15 K. Both compounds are rhombohedral, $\text{R}\text{3}\text{c}$, with cell parameters a=8.7088(1) and c=24.2197(4) Å for the ammonium compound and a=8.7528(2), c=23.6833(11) Å for the hydronium compound. In both cases the ions are completely localized in the type I cavities and hydrogen bonded to lattice oxygens. The measured unit cell parameters are relatively large for this class of compounds but the entrance ways into the cavities are still too small to allow for unrestricted movement of the ions. Thus the low conductivity of the hydronium ion is related to this and other structural features.