Emission spectroscopy of Cr3+-doped phosphate glasses has been studied. Dif
ferent site distributions of the chromium ions having an environment with n
early octahedral symmetry could be identified on the basis of the luminesce
nce decay characteristics and the time-resolved emission study. The low qua
ntum yield in luminescence is attributed to an efficient multiphonon relaxa
tion process deexciting rapidly ions submitted to the weaker crystal field.