Bridgman crystal growth and spectral properties of Er doped PbWO4 as stimulated Raman crystals

Abstract Several Er doped (0.2 at%, 0.5 at%, and 1.0 at%) PbWO 4 single crystals were grown by Bridgman method with the size of Φ20 × 100 mm. The absorption spectra of Er:PWO samples were measured to investigate the spectral properties of Er 3+ ions according to Judd-Ofelt theory. The phenomenological intensity parameters Ω λ were fitted to calculate the spectral parameters of several radiative transitions of Er 3+ ions, and the possibility of 4 I 13/2 → 4 I 15/2 transition at about 1.5 μm of Er 3+ ions in PWO crystal was also discussed. The energy transfer from PWO matrix to Er 3+ ions was investigated based on the photoluminescence spectra, and the frequency shifting effect of Er 3+ ions on PWO crystal was discussed according to the spontaneous Raman spectra. The 1.5 μm fluorescence spectra of different Er:PWO samples were measured under the excitation at 980 nm.