Spectroscopic studies of Pr3+ ions in silver halide crystals

The luminescence of AgBr and AgBrCl crystals doped with Pr3+ rare-earth ion s was investigated in the visible and infrared spectral ranges. We measured the excitation, emission, and absorption spectra as well as the kinetic pa rameters over a broad temperature range. The strong influence of the silver halide composition on Pr3+ ions spectroscopic properties was revealed. We calculated useful optical parameters for Pr:AgBr crystals by using the Judd -Ofelt approximation. Good agreement between the theoretical and the measur ed parameters was obtained. (C) 2000 Optical Society of America. OCIS codes : 300.2140, 300.1030, 300.6280, 300.6360.