Pr:RbPb_2Cl_5: temperature dependent spectra, dynamics and three-for-one excitation

Abstract

The temperature dependence of the absorption, fluorescence, and fluorescence lifetimes of states relevant to short-wave-infrared and mid-infrared laser operation have been measured in Pr:RbPbCl. The 3600-5500-nm fluorescence grows strongly with temperature, and at room temperature represents the large majority of the observed photon flux. Intra-ionic decay processes cannot explain this dominance, but a combination of two cross-relaxation processes provides good agreement with the data. These results indicate a three-for-one process: the excitation of nearly three ions to the H manifold of Pr by each one initially excited to F, with the potential for exceptionally high efficiency excitation of mid-infrared laser materials.

Luminescence study of rare-earth (RE)-doped low-energy phonon RbPb2Cl5crystals for mid-infrared (IR) lasers emitting above 4.5μm wavelength

“…The corresponding full width at half maxima were ∼890 nm, ∼720 nm, and ∼1400 nm, respectively, which offers a potential for broad tunability and short pulse generation in this spectral region. In addition, the fluorescence lifetimes at ∼5 µm transitions of all the discussed materials are of the order of milliseconds at room temperature [1,18,34], which is long enough for efficient diode pumping. Investment Funds and the government budget of the Czech Republic.…”

Crystal Growth and First-Principles Calculations of the Mid-IR Laser Crystal Dy3+:PbGa2S4

“…It is difficult to directly output a laser with wavelength beyond 3 μm because of the luminescence quenching caused by the high phonon energy of conventional oxide hosts. Materials with low phonon energy, such as chlorides − and chalcogenides, − are of great interest for direct lasing of 3–5 μm mid-infrared (mid-IR) lasers, which are urgently demanded in many military and civil fields. Laser operations beyond 3 μm have been demonstrated from rare earth (RE) ion doped LaCl 3 and APb 2 Cl 5 (A = K, Rb) hosts, but the chloride hosts are strongly hygroscopic at room or high temperature .…”