The spectral properties of the 1S0 state in SrAl12O19:Pr

In this Letter we report the spectral properties of the Pr3+ 1S0 state in SrAl12O19. The 1S0 level was observed directly in the excitation spectrum, its position was determined to be 46 490 ± 10 cm−1. The estimated 3H4→1S0 absorption cross section is 5.3×10−20 cm2. The lifetime of the 1S0 excited state is 658 ns. The main opposite parity component mixed into 4f2 1S0 is from the 4f 15d 1F3 and 1H5 spectral terms. The transitions from 1S0 to 4f2 1G4 and 3F4 are zero-phonon transition dominated, while the transition from 1S0 to 1I6 is vibronic in nature.