Optical properties of fluoride crystals doped with rare earth ions

The laser sources are already used in many technological and scientific applications. This is for example theenvironmental sciences with the detection of industrial pollutants or biological species in the atmosphere or the... [ view full abstract ]

The laser sources are already used in many technological and scientific applications. This is for example the

environmental sciences with the detection of industrial pollutants or biological species in the atmosphere or the measurement and control of various climate parameters. It is also applications in the medical field, for example in ophthalmology with the reshaping of the cornea, or as biotechnology for which laser sources in broad band’s used in the production of short pulses. These laser sources can play an important role in the processing of materials.

TR³⁺ ions of rare earth elements are part of the lanthanide family. These rare-earth ions are known for their optical luminescence properties, because they have very rich optical spectra in all the infrared, visible and ultraviolet. The latter property gives the numerous applications as the phosphors of television, scintillators for medical or scientific purposes or laser materials.

The formalism of Judd-Ofelt  is addressed to access some qualified variables essential to any study of lasing. The active species Er³⁺ provided very interesting optical properties; sufficient bursts of energy levels ^{2S + 1} L _J such as emissions can be observed in the visible, near and mid-infrared, at wavelengths of interest in the fields (medicine and environment).

A spectroscopic study at room temperature based on the Judd-Ofelt  formalism led us to the probabilities of radiative transitions and parameters Ω_t (t = 2,4,6). We found that the inclusion of the transition ⁴I_15/2 → ⁴I_9/2 does not influence in anyway the values for the parametersWt (t = 2,4,6).

This transition is a 4f → 4f transitions tunable may give rise to a tunable laser emission between 645 and 675 nm in the sample BaF₂: Er³⁺ . This crystal may be a promising candidate for a laser emission around 670.07 nm.

The emission spectra are calibrated cross-section of stimulated emission by the method of Füchtbauer -Ladenburg.

In conclusion, this work deserves to be treated in the future to carry out the idea of co-doping fluorinated matrices by sensitizing ions for the production of laser sources operating in the visible.