Abstract
The polarized optical absorption of LiNbO3: Eu crystals within 400nm-2.50pm has been investigated for various Eu concentrations at 15K and RT. The assignations of the observed bands have been ma de by assuming Eu3+ ions in C3v symmetry, to be expected in the LiNbO3 lattice. A very small splitting has been observed for some of these bands (∼1meV) which is assumed to be due to two different positions of the Eu3+ ions