Spectroscopic properties of Ho³⁺ doped CaNb₂O₆ crystal

Abstract

Results of the growth and annealing processes of Ho³⁺:CaNb₂O₆ crystal with high oxygen defects were reported. The spectroscopic properties of Ho³⁺:CaNb₂O₆ were also analysed, and the decay curves of the bulk and powder samples in correspondence with the emission ⁵I₇→⁵I₈ at 2·0 μm were recorded. The effects of radiative trapping on the final results were also indicated, and the final value of the fluorescence lifetimes of ⁵I₇→⁵I₈ transition is calculated to be 5·19 ms. CaNb₂O₆ crystal was shown to be a prospective material for an infrared laser medium at 2·0 μm.

Keywords:

• Ho³⁺:CaNb₂O₆ crystal
• Spectroscopic properties
• Radiative trapping

This work was supported by the National Nature Science Foundation of China (grant nos. 50902129, 61078076 and 91122033), Innovation Foundation Projects of Chinese Academy of Sciences (grant no. CXJJ-11-M48), Knowledge Innovation Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences (grant no. KJCX2-EW-H03), Science and Technology Plan Major Projects of Fujian Province (grant no. 2010I0015), major projects of FJIRSM (grant no. SZD09001) and Fund of Research Center of Laser Technology Integration and Application Engineering Technology of Haixi Industrial Technology Research Institute (grant no. 2009H2009).