Growth, structure and spectroscopic properties of a novel Nd3+, Ho3+ co-doped CsPbCl3 crystal

This work reports, for the first time, the successful growth of Nd3+ and Ho3+ co-doped CsPbCl3 single crystals via the Bridgman method, highlighting the high phase purity and low phonon-energy characteristics linked to the intrinsically cubic crystal structure. Spectroscopic studies demonstrate distinct Ho3+ emissions at 1840 nm and 1930 nm (5I7 →5I8), characterized by a dual-peak profile with a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 177 nm, indicating strong potential for broadband tunable laser. The fluorescence lifetime of the 5I7 level of Ho3+ ions was determined to be 0.131 ms. Additionally, intense visible up-conversion emissions at 534, 597 and 655 nm were observed in the Nd,Ho:CsPbCl3 crystal under 808 nm excitation, with corresponding lifetimes of 46, 45 and 55 µs, respectively. These findings indicate Nd,Ho:CsPbCl3 crystal could serve as a promising medium for infrared tunable laser or visible laser.