TEMPORAL DEPENDENCE OF THE EMISSION BAND OF PB-CENTERS IN BALIF3-PB CRYSTALS((1) COLOR)

Pb+(1) centers in BaLiF3 crystals were created by high energy electron irradiation of lead doped crystals. The lowest energy emission band o f these centers peaks at 880 nn at 77 K, and it is the counterpart of the KMgF3 : Pb+(1) laser emission. The Pb+(1) centers in both hosts sh ow an asymmetric emission band shape. We have measured the emission de cay time of these centers in the temperature range of 10-300 K, in thi s range of temperatures, the decay time is constant and equal to 1.25 mu s and, therefore, for this simple optical cycle, the quantum effici ency is unity. By analyzing the low temperature time evolution of the emission band, it is then seen that the asymmetry is maintained, there fore it is a characteristic of the Pb+(1) centers in the BaLiF3 crysta l.