Investigation of four-wave mixing in NdxLa1−xP5O14

Abstract

Four-wave mixing has been investigated in ${\mathrm{Nd}}_x{\mathrm{La}}_{1-x}{\mathrm{P}}_5{\mathrm{O}}_{14}$ crystals as a function of temperature, laser excitation wavelength, and power. The results are interpreted in terms of scattering from a population grating, and the relative intensity of the scattered signal is investigated as well as the grating decay time. The power dependence of the scattered intensity is explained by a model involving interaction with a three-level system, and the properties of the grating decay are associated with the exciton dynamics of the ions in the excited state. Decay patterns characteristic of both incoherent and partially coherent exciton migration can be observed under different experimental conditions. Enhanced migration due to vibronic generation of phonons resonant with the metastable state splitting is also observed. The temperature dependence of the results shows a weak coupling between the excitions and the acoustic phonons of the host. Local heating effects are found to affect the ion-ion and ion-phonon interaction parameters and produce a thermal grating under certain experimental conditions.