Luminescence study of the 4f25d configuration of Nd3+ in LiYF4, LiLuF4 and BaY2F8 crystals

Ultraviolet fluorescence of Nd3+ ions induced by triphotonic excitation process was studied in Nd-doped LiYF4, LiLuF4 and BaY2F8 crystals using a technique of time-resolved spectroscopy. The observed ultraviolet luminescence was due to transitions between the bottom of 4f25d configuration and 4f 3 states of Nd3+ ions. Narrow emission lines superposed to the broadband emissions were observed. A detailed analysis of luminescence spectrum revealed that the narrow emissions are due to parity and spin allowed radiative transitions from the Stark levels of 4K11/2(5d) state created by the electrostatic interaction between the 5d electron and the two electrons of the 4f2 configuration. The narrow emissions are related to the high spin state (image) which gives f–f characteristics to the f–d broadband emissions. The narrow emissions superposed to the wide emission correspond to 18%, 34% and 43% of the integrated broadband emission at 262 nm observed in LiYF4, LiLuF4 and BaY2F8 crystals, respectively. Although the 5d–4f2 interaction is observed to be weaker than 5d-crystal field interaction, it is stronger enough to select only the radiative transitions from 4f25d configuration to 4f3 states that preserves the total spin image.