Crystal field splitting of the 4f 5d electronic configuration of Pr 3+ ions in wide band gap fluoride dielectric crystals

Abstract

The absorption and the laser-induced fluorescence spectra of Pr 3+ ion in YF3 , LaF3 , KY3 F 10 and LiLuF4 , single crystal hosts were obtained in the vacuum ultraviolet region of the spectrum. The energy position and the spacing of the levels of the 4f 5d electronic configuration depend on the host matrix. In addition, strong vacuum ultraviolet emission bands were observed, following crystal excitation at 157 nm with the molecular fluorine laser. The emission bands were due to the interconfigurational 4f 5d → 4f2 dipole-allowed transitions in Pr3+ ions, and they were assigned to the transitions between the edge of the lowest Stark component of the 4f 5d electronic configuration and the levels of the 4f2 electronic configuration. The VUV spectra can be interpreted by applying the crystal field model, and taking into consideration that lanthanide contraction of the 4f n-1 5d electronic configurations of the rare earth ions, and shielding of the positive ion charge from the electrons in the 4fn electronic configuration is taking place. Finally, a new method for monitoring the concentration of the rare earth ions in wide band gap fluoride dielectric crystals in a non-destructive way, by measuring magnetic dipole moments with the vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) method, is presented for the first time to our knowledge for this type of crystals. © 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.