SPECTROSCOPIC PROPERTIES AND FLUORESCENCE DYNAMICS OF ER3+ AND YB3+ IN CAYALO4

The optical properties of Er3+- and (Er3+, Yb3+)-doped CaYAlO4 single crystals grown by the Czochralski technique are presented. These cryst als emit infrared fluorescence in the eye-safe spectral region around 1.55 mum. The measured electric dipole oscillator strengths of the tra nsitions between the J manifolds at 300 K are compared with those deri ved from the Judd-Ofelt theory. The non-radiative relaxation rates fro m the various excited states are determined by calculating the differe nce between the measured fluorescence decay rates and the calculated r adiative transition rates. The stimulated emission cross sections are determined from the absorption spectra with the aid of the reciprocity method. The properties of the (Er3+, Yb3+)-doped CaYAlO4 single cryst als are compared with those of the well-known phosphate glass.