Laser selective excitation and energy transfer in a multisite system: CaF2:Pr3+

Abstract

Laser selective excitation and time-resolved laser selective excitation experiments have been performed on two different samples of CaF₂:Pr³⁺ containing respectively 0.2 and 0.9 mol% of the dopant. In the less doped samples, these techniques allow one to put in evidence the existence of four different sites corresponding to various clustering processes and charge compensating mechanisms. Moreover, the time dependence of the emission process after the excitation by a short laser pulse exhibits the existence of a non-resonant energy transfer between different ions pertaining to clusters which are likely to exist at these concentrations of the dopant. The analysis of the experiments concerning the more heavily doped sample is also being reported.