CRYSTAL-GROWTH AND OPTICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF CR3-DOPED YAL3(BO3)(4)()

This paper reports the high temperature top-seeded solution growth (TS SG) of large single crystals of Cr3+-doped YAl3(BO3)(4) from a K2Mo3O1 0-B2O3 flux cooled at a rate of 2-4 K per day in the temperature range 950-1060 degrees C, using a crystal rotation rate of 4-6 rpm. Optical absorption measurements at T = 300 K reveal broad bands associated wi th transitions from the (4)A(2) ground state of Cr3+ to the T-4(2) and T-4(1) excited states. The doublet R lines and their one-phonon sideb and are clearly resolved at room temperature in both absorption and lu minescence spectra: the splitting of the R lines demonstrates the effe ct of the even-parity trigonal distortions of their environment on the (4)A(2) and (2)E levels of the Cr3+ ions.