HIGH-TEMPERATURE SPECTRAL HOLE-BURNING ON SAMARIUM(II) IN SINGLE-CRYSTALS OF THE LEAD FLUOROHALIDE STRUCTURE FAMILY AND IN THIN-FILMS OF CALCIUM-FLUORIDE

When modern spectral hole burning applications for high-density inform ation storage under noncryogenic temperatures are envisioned, it is ne cessary to develop new frequency-selective photoactive materials for t his purpose. Mixed compounds of the PbFCI family, doped with samarium (II) ions, exhibit promising and true, room-temperature hole burning c apabilities. We investigate this class of systems (and related ones) b y combining material synthesis and high-resolution spectroscopy. Whole groups of isomorphous crystals were synthesized with varying degrees of halide anion and/or cation substitutions. Thin films of fluoride-ba sed materials were made in a laboratory-built molecular beam epitaxy s ystem. An extended x-ray study, differential thermal analysis, lumines cence, and Raman measurements allowed the characterization of the mate rials. Formal models were developed for both the inhomogeneous zero-ph onon optical line shapes of the Samarium (II) and the time evolution o f hole burning.