Spectra and energy levels of Nd3+(4f3) in stoichiometric NdP5O14

Abstract We report a detailed crystal-field splitting analysis of the 13 lowest-energy multiplet manifolds, 2S+1 L J , of Nd 3+ (4f 3 ) in stoichiometric NdP 5 O 14 . The observed manifold splittings were determined by analyzing the absorption spectra between 550 and 1750 nm and the fluorescence spectra between 800 and 1400 nm at temperatures between 8 K and room temperature. The spectra are remarkably sharp given the high concentration of Nd (28.91 wt%) in the stoichiometric crystal. The number of transitions to and from individual multiplet manifolds is consistent with Nd 3+ ions occupying sites, reported earlier to be of low symmetry ( C 1 ). Sixty experimental energy (Stark) levels associated with the 13 manifolds are compared to a crystal-field splitting calculation in which the observed-to-calculated rms deviation is 6.8 cm −1 .