Photoinduced optical absorption in Ca3Ga2Ge3O12:Mn garnet

Persistent photoinduced changes of optical absorption have been found in garnet Ca3Ga2Ge3O12 doped with manganese. Irradiation by a He–Ne laser of 633 nm wavelength results in a noticeable increase in the absorption coefficient of the crystal. The photoinduced changes are observed up to room temperature as distinct from concentrated manganese garnets in which the photoinduced absorption vanishes at much lower temperatures. The wide temperature range of the existence of the photoinduced effect together with a high transparency of the crystal makes it a promising material for optical recording.