Thermal and optical hole-filling in a Sm2+-doped aluminosilicate glass

Persistent spectral hole burning (PSHB) within the F-7(0) - D-5(0) transiti on of Sm2+, thermal hole-filling and optical hole-filling with the laser li ght of different wavelengths, 488, 670 and 688 nm were performed, respectiv ely, at 8 and 200 K in a Sm2+-doped 10Al(2)O . 90SiO(2) glass prepared by a sol-gel method. The results definitely reveal that the formation of PSHB v aries depending on temperature in the glass. Two kinds of formation, optica lly activated rearrangement of OH bonds surrounding the Sm2+ ions in additi on to one-step electron tunneling, may both contribute to the PSHB at low t emperature. On the other hand, only one-step electron tunneling contributes to the PSHB at high temperature. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.