Optical properties of Sm3+ ions in lithium borate and lithium fluoroborateglasses

Optical absorption, excitation, emission spectra and lifetimes are presente d for Sm3+ ions in lithium berate and lithium fluoroborate glasses. Composi tional dependence of Judd-Ofelt parameters has been evaluated and these par ameters are used to predict radiative lifetimes (tau(R)) and branching rati os (beta(R)) for some excited (4)G(4)(7/2), (4)G(4)(5/2), F-6(11/2), F-6(9/ 2), F-6(1/2), H-6(13/2), H-6(11/2) and H-6(9/2) levels. The radiative prope rties have also been predicted for these excited levels of Sm3+ :borate, ox ide, phosphate. fluoride and fluorophosphate glasses and Sm3+:Y3Al5O12 crys tal. The values of electric (A(ed)) and magnetic (A(md)) dipole transition probabilities, tau(R) and beta(R) are presented for the above excited level s. The Judd-Ofelt intensity parameters have been used to predict oscillator strengths which are found to be useful to assign the closely spaced multip lets. The predicted values of tau(R) and beta(R) are compared with the expe rimental values for (4)G(4)(5/2) level to its lower levels. The stimulated emission cross-sections, sigma(lambda(p)), were also evaluated for (4)G(4)( 5/2)-->H-6(3) transitions. The dependence of the optical properties due to compositional changes of the glasses rue discussed and compared with simila r results. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.