Characteristic of the 1S0 level in Pr3+:ZBLAN glass by two-step excitation

Abstract We experimentally report on the energy position, branching ratios, lifetimes and emission cross sections of the 1 S 0 level in Pr 3+ :ZBLAN glasses by two-step excitation process: 3 H 4 → 1 D 2 → 4f5d. The calculated branching ratios and lifetimes of 1 S 0 by the standard as well as the modified Judd-Ofelt theories are compared with the measured ones. The results by the modified Judd-Ofelt theory, which more reasonably takes into account the effects of the configuration energies on the 5d perturbations to the 4f levels, have better agreements with the experimental results. The 1 S 0 luminescence by another two-step excitation process 3 H 4 → 3 P 0 → 4f5d is also discussed.