Luminescence and spectral hole burning of Sm(2+) doped in Li(2)O-SrO-B(2)O(3) glass-ceramics.

ABSTRACT

The Sm(3+)-doped alkali strontium borate glass-ceramics were obtained by heating of the as-made glasses in air, where Sm(3+) ions were reduced to Sm(2+) ions. The XRD, optical absorption spectra and luminescence of Sm(3+) and Sm(2+) ions were investigated. The excitation spectra of the (7)F(0)-->(5)D(0) transition were measured in the region of (7)F(0)-->(5)D(1) transition, where spectral holes were burnt within two of the Stark split (5)D(1) bands. The Sm(2+) ions doped glass ceramics exhibit the persistent spectral hole burning at room temperature. The hole depth, which are burned by the DCM dye laser, are about 40% of the total intensity, respectively. It is concluded that the dominant burning mechanism is a photoionization of electron trapping at a site other than Sm(3+) ions because of the absence of an antihole around the burned hole.