Spectroscopic properties of Yb doped YLF grown by a vertical Bridgman method

Sugiyama, Akira; Katsurayama, Masamichi*; Anzai, Yutaka*; Tsuboi, Taiju*

Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 408-412, p.780 - 783, 2006/02

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jallcom.2005.01.094

Laser crystals of LiYF (YLF) doped with 5 - 64 at.% of trivalent ytterbium ions (Yb) were grown by a vertical Bridgman method. As crystal growth materials of YbF and YF including YOF impurities caused opaque crystal, the YOF reduction procedure using PbF was essential before starting the crystal growth. We derived seven energy levels from the F and F manifolds of Yb: YLF by the crystal-field analysis from which we explain the observed polarized absorption and emission spectra. The intrinsic broad and complicated spectra of Yb: YLF are attributed to the strong coupling of the 4f electrons with lattice vibration of the crystal.