Crystal fields in Pr3+doped rare earth gallium garnets, RE3Ga5O12:Pr3+

The optical absorption, site selective excitation and luminescence spectra of the trivalent praseodymium ion in three rare earth gallium garnet matrices, RE 3 Ga 5 O 12 (REGG; RE=Y, Gd, and Pr) were detected at 4, 77 and 300 K. The 4f 2 energy level schemes comprising 56 to 68 crystal field (CF) sublevels were simulated according to a phenomenological model taking into account both the free ion and CF effects. The model consisting of 17 parameters with 8 free ion and 9 CF parameters appropriate to the D 2 point symmetry of the RE 3+ site reproduced the experimental energy level schemes in a satisfactory manner with RMS deviations between 17 and 23 cm -1 . The CF parameters vary only slightly as a function of the host matrix. The B q k parameter sets for PrGG and YGG:Pr 3+ are consistent with those obtained for the other REGG and YGG:RE 3+ , respectively.