EVALUATION OF MN5-DOPED SR-5(VO4)(3)F AS A LASER MATERIAL BASED ON EXCITED-STATE ABSORPTION AND STIMULATED-EMISSION MEASUREMENTS()

Excited-state absorption and stimulated-emission measurements of Mn5+- doped Sr-5(VO4)(3)F were made with a pump-and-probe technique. Strong excited-state absorption bands were observed, corresponding to the tra nsitions from the E-1(D-1) metastable level to higher-lying singlet le vels. The stimulated emission from the E-1(D-1) level to the (3)A(2)(F -3) ground state is overlapped by a tail of the E-1(D-1) --> T-1(2)(D- 1) excited-state absorption band. The cross section of the E-1(D-1) -- > T-1(2)(D-1) transition at 1161 nm is (1.4 +/- 0.3) x 10(-20) cm(2) f or E parallel to c and (2.4 +/- 0.5) x 10(-20) cm(2) for E perpendicul ar to c. The ratio between the excited-state absorption and the stimul ated-emission cross section at 1161 nm is 0.52 for E parallel to c and 1.82 for E perpendicular to c. Therefore laser emission is expected t o be inefficient in E parallel to c polarization and not to be possibl e in E perpendicular to c polarization. The crystal field parameters i n the cubic field approximation were determined to be Dq = 1134 cm(-1) , B = 356 cm(-1), and C = 2918 cm(-1), giving Dq/B = 3.19 and C/B = 8. 20. (C) 1997 Optical Society of America.