Optical and luminescence characterization of LiBaAlF6 single crystals

Abstract Far ultraviolet optical, luminescence excitation and pulse cathodoluminescence spectroscopy methods were used to determine the electronic structure properties of undoped single crystals of LiBaAlF 6 (LBAF). The spectrum of the refraction index in the ultraviolet–visible range was recorded. The photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy was carried out for both the excitonic (4.3 eV) and fast vacuum ultraviolet (6.6 eV) emission bands of LBAF single crystals at 10 K. Modeling of the photoluminescence excitation spectra for excitonic emission was performed to characterize the low-energy tail of the host absorption of LBAF single crystals. The pulse cathodoluminescence spectroscopy method was used to characterize the fast vacuum ultraviolet (6.6 eV) emission band and proof its origination from the radiative core-valence transitions F − 2 p → Ba 2+ 5 p .