OPTICAL-PROPERTIES OF ZOISITE

The optical absorption, luminescence, luminescence excitation, and lum inescence decay kinetics of a dopant with a 3d(3) shell (most probably Cr3+) and V3+ ions in natural Ca(2)AL(3)Si(3)O(12)(OH) zoisite crysta l have been measured. The splitting of the R lines for a dopant with a 3d(3) shell, equal to 340 cm(-1), is one of the largest known. The ve ry broad infrared luminescence spectrum is associated with various dop ants present in the crystal. We show that possible application of zois ite as a laser material is hindered by efficient nonradiative transiti ons at room temperature related to the presence of trace impurities.