Midinfrared luminescence properties and laser potentials of Pr3+ doped KPb2Cl5 and CsCdBr3
Résumé
The paper presents the spectroscopic and the fluorescence properties of the Pr3+ doped low-energy phonon and nonhygroscopic chloride and bromide single crystals KPb2Cl5 and CsCdBr3. Room temperature absorption spectra have been registered and analyzed, by using standard as well as modified versions of the Judd-Ofelt formalism, to derive the values for the radiative lifetimes and the branching ratios of the various emission transitions in both compounds. Low temperature absorption and emission spectra have been registered and exploited to derive the detailed positions of the Pr3+ energy levels in KPb2Cl5. These experimental values have been confronted to and completed by calculated ones obtained by using a standard crystal-field procedure. These data, combined with results of fluorescence decays and emission spectra measurements, then have been used to determine the emission and gain cross sections of the main midinfrared ﴾mid-IR﴿ emission transitions of interest in these materials. Finally, the different mid-IR transitions have been discussed for the two crystals in order to determine their laser potentials.