Ultraviolet solid-state Ce:YLF laser at 325 nm

Abstract

We describe the first reported observation of stimulated emission from a 5d-4f transition in a triply ionized rare-earth-doped crystal. Ce(+3) ions in LiYF(4) (YLF), optically pumped at 249 nm, emitted at 325.5 nm, the shortest wavelength yet obtained from an optically pumped solid-state laser. The large fluorescence linewidth of the laser transition makes the Ce:YLF laser a potentially tunable source of coherent near-ultraviolet radiation between 305 and 335 nm.

Laser crystals and ceramics: recent advances

“…To achieve this SE generation the radiation of KrF and ArF excimer lasers as well as quadrupled pulsed generation (λ p ≈ 0.266 µm) of Y 3 Al 5 O 12 :Nd 3+ lasers were used as pumping sources (see, e.g. [70][71][72][73]). The result of UV lasing excitation in the LuPO 4 :Ce 3+ crystal is also worth noting [74], which indicates that Ce 3+ -doped oxides are also promising materials for obtaining 5d 1 -4f 1 UV laser action.…”

Ab initio theoretical studies on U3+ and on the structure and spectroscopy of U3+ substitutional defects in Cs2NaYCl6, 5f 26d1 manifold

“…3 Four sets of molecular orbitals were produced for each nuclear configuration, each in a separated SA-CASSCF calculation: ͑a͒ MOs that minimize the average energy of all 4 A 1g , 4 A 2g , and 4 E g states up to 3 4 A 1g , 5 4 A 2g , and 8 4 E g , all of them having a main configuration U 5 f 2 6d 1 ͓either 5 f 2 6d(t 2g ) 1 or 5 f 2 6d(e g ) 1 ,] the next state being of main character U 5 f 2 7s 1 ; ͑b͒ MOs that minimize the average energy of all 4 T 1g and 4 T 2g states up to 13 4 T 1g and 12 4 T 2g , which includes U 5 f 2 6d(t 2g ) 1 and U 5 f 2 6d(e g ) 1 states; ͑c͒ MOs that minimize the average energy of all 2 A 1g , 2 A 2g , and 2 E g states up to 3 2 A 1g , 2 2 A 2g , and 5 2 E g ͑included in an energy window of around 12 000 cm Ϫ1 , the next state of these irreducible representations being 3000 cm Ϫ1 above͒ and ͑d͒ MOs that minimize the average energy of all 2 T 1g and 2 T 2g states up to 7 2 T 1g and 8 2 T 2g ͑included in an energy window of around 13 000 cm Ϫ1 , the next state of these irreducible representations being 1000 cm Ϫ1 above͒. The CAS-CI energies of all the states of the given irreducible representations have been calculated using their corresponding MOs.…”

“…SA-CASSCF calculations in Cs 2 NaYCl 6 : (UCl 6 ) 3Ϫ with an active space resulting from distributing 3 electrons in 12 active molecular orbitals with main character U 5 f and 6d, SA-CASSCF ͓5 f ,6d͔ 3 , lead to results of U-Cl bond distances, breathing mode frequencies, minimum-tominimum energy differences, and vertical ͑Franck-Condon͒ energy differences, essentially coincident with those of SA-CASSCF ͓5 f ,6d,7s͔ 3 calculations. However, all the CASPT2 calculations with the SA-CASSCF ͓5 f ,6d͔ 3 reference lead to a number of intruder states that contaminate the results of several excited states.…”

“…1,2 This excitation energy is lower than the 4 f →5d excitation in lanthanide ion doped crystals, where 5d→4 f broad emission bands are involved in applications as phosphors, scintillators, and visible-UV solid-state laser materials. [3][4][5] The f nϪ1 d 1 energy levels of f-element impurity ions may be involved in photon cascade emission processes 6 and act as intermediate states in electronic Raman scattering 7 and in photon upconversion processes. 8,9 Also, the relative low energy of the 5 f nϪ1 6d 1 levels of the actinide impurity ions makes the analysis of the 5 f →5 f spectra more complex.…”

Quantum chemical analysis of the bond lengths in fn and fn−1d1 states of Ce3+, Pr3+, Pa4+, and U4+ defects in chloride hosts

“…The interest in new solid state materials able to produce laser emission or very intense fluorescence in the ultra violet ͑UV͒/vacuum UV spectral regions, [1][2][3][4][5] act as quantum cutters, [6][7][8] or emit upconverted light, [9][10][11] has resulted in an increase in the number of spectroscopic studies involving 4 f nϪ1 5d 1 electronic states of lanthanide ion impurities in crystals. Also, the idea that the 5 f nϪ1 6d 1 manifolds of the actinide series could have analogous value and potentiality is leading new research on crystals doped with actinide ions.…”