Energy transfer between Eu3+ ions in LiNbO3, CaWO4, and EuxY1−xP5O14 crystals

Narrow-band laser excitation is used to selectively pump Eu3+ ions in different types of crystal field sites in four host crystals LiNbO3, CaWO4, EuP5O14, and Eu0.01Y0.99P5O14. Energy transfer between ions in nonequivalent sites is characterized using time-resolved spectroscopy techniques and phenomenological rate parameter models. In all four cases, the energy transfer is found to occur by a single-step process through a weak electric dipole–dipole interaction. However, the different spatial distributions of the Eu3+ ions in these hosts produce differences in the energy transfer characteristics.