Cooperative emission of photons by weakly coupled chromium ions in Al2O3

Under strongcw-excitation ruby crystals exhibit complex anti-Stokes fluorescence spectra in the near ultraviolet. Based on ring dye laser excitation spectra, fluorescence decay and concentration dependence, we show that these spectra can be decomposed into single ion emissions and a cooperative emission at the double energy of the² E⁴ A ₂ transition. The unusual vibronic sideband of the latter suggests a general mechanism for the coupling of distant ions in polar insulators involving the electric field of longitudinal optical phonons.Work supported by Sonderforschungsbereich 65 Frankfurt/Darmstadt