Optical study of praseodymium doped yttrium aluminium garnet

The absorption and fluorescence spectra of YAG crystals doped with praseodymium at 1% level are investigated through dye laser spectroscopy. The spectra can be interpreted as evidence for at least three series of crystallographic sites for Pr³⁺, but only the transitions which involve the ground state are really complex, that is multi-sites like. It is suggested that an electronphonon interaction occurs through resonance with peaks in the density of phonon states and ground state Stark levels in the range 350–750 cm^–1. This creates new vibronic states and the appearance of a large number of lines for transitions involving ground state especially if laser excitation of the fluorescence is used.Presented at the International Symposium on Solid State Chemistry, October 28–31, 1986, Karlovy Vary, Czechoslovakia.