Pa. Atanasov et al., Luminescence properties of thin films prepared by laser ablation of Nd-doped potassium gadolinium tungstate, APPL PHYS A, 74(1), 2002, pp. 109-113
Optically active thin films on Si substrates have been produced by laser ab
lation of a Nd-doped potassium gadolinium tungstate (Nd:KGW) single crystal
. Films grown at low oxygen pressures (< 0.6 mbar) are potassium-deficient
and appear to be mainly disordered. They show a poor photoluminescence (PL)
performance that improves upon annealing in air at temperatures in the ran
ge 700-1000 degreesC. Films grown at high oxygen pressure (1 mbar) show ins
tead good stoichiometry and the presence of a dominant textured gadolinium-
tungstate phase compared to KGW. These films have low absorption, a refract
ive index close to that of bulk KGW and good PL performance, the emission l
ifetimes being longer (tau > 150 mus) under certain conditions than those m
easured in the single-crystal material.