LUMINESCENCE AND STIMULATED RADIATION OF NEODYMIUM IN RARE-EARTH SULFATE CRYSTALS

Various absorption transitions of Nd3+ ion in single crystals of neody mium sulphate have been identified and their experimental oscillator s trengths calculated by numerically integrating the absorption bands. T he experimental oscillator strengths are utilised in evaluating the th ree phenomino-logical Judd-Ofelt intensity parameters. Various radiati ve parameters such as the electric dipole linestrengths, radiative tra nsition probabilities, radiative life times, fluorescence branching ra tios and stimulated emission cross-sections for the fluorescence trans itions from F-4(3/2) excited manifolds of Nd3+ ion have been evaluated . Quantum efficiency and optical gain of the most efficient F-4(3/2) - -> I-4(11/2) fluorescent transition have been computed with the help o f the fluorescence data. Some information regarding the excited state absorption intensities from the F-4(3/2) level are also presented. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.