Spectroscopic properties of nonlinear NdSc3(BO3)(4)

NdSc3(BO3)(4) (NdSB) can be grown as a nonlinear optical crystal having hex agonal (huntite) structure. The crystal has important spectroscopic propert ies suitable for various applications in photonics. The observed crystal-fi eld splitting of the energy levels of Nd3+(4f(3)) has been identified based on analyses of the fluorescence, absorption, and excitation spectra obtain ed at 13, 80, and 300 K. A detailed crystal-field splitting calculation in which initial crystal-field parameters B-nm are established from lattice-su m calculations gives good agreement to the observed splitting. Experimental branching ratios and fluorescence lifetimes are reported and are compared with calculated values. The spectroscopic properties of Nd3+ in NdSB are al so compared with values obtained for Nd3+ as a dopant in the nonlinear crys tal YAl3(BO3)(4). (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-8979(00)00 510-7].