Photoinduced optical absorption in Ca3Ga2Ge3O12 : Mn garnet

Persistent photoinduced changes of optical absorption have been found in ga rnet Ca3Ga2Ge3O12 doped with manganese. Irradiation by a He-Ne laser of 633 nm wavelength results in a noticeable increase in the absorption coefficie nt of the crystal. The photoinduced changes are observed up to room tempera ture as distinct from concentrated manganese garnets in which the photoindu ced absorption vanishes at much lower temperatures. The wide temperature ra nge of the existence of the photoinduced effect together with a high transp arency of the crystal makes it a promising material for optical recording. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.