Optical spectra of Er3+ in Ba2NaNb5O15 single crystals

The absorption and luminescence spectra of Er3+-doped Ba2NaNb5O15 single crystals have been measured at 10 and 298 K. The lifetimes of the lower lying excited states, emitting in the visible and NIR regions, have been measured as a function of the temperature. From the oscillator strengths of the absorption transitions, the Judd-Ofelt intensity parameters have been evaluated. The spontaneous transition probabilities, the branching ratios and the radiative lifetimes have been determined for the most important emitting states using the calculated intensity parameters and the results have been compared with the experimental data. The stimulated emission cross section have been estimated for the 1.5 mu m transition. These experimental results are discussed in order to evaluate the potentialities of this material as active medium in solid state laser devices. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.