Spectral hole burning and optical dephasing in disordered crystals – Pr 3+ : LiNbO 3 and Pr 3+ : Sr .6Ba .4Nb 2O 6 (SBN)

• Published in: Journal of luminescence Vol. 86; no. 3; pp. 311 - 315
• Main Authors: Macfarlane, R.M, Könz, F, Sun, Y, Cone, R.L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 2000
• Subjects: Lithium niobate; Praseodymium; Spectral hole burning; Two-level systems; 42.62.Fi; Lithium niobate; Two-level systems; Spectral hole burning; 7.40.Ha; Praseodymium
• ISSN: 0022-2313; 1872-7883
• DOI: 10.1016/S0022-2313(00)00191-5

We have measured the homogeneous line widths of the 3 H 4(1) to 1 D 2(1) transition of Pr 3+ ions in the ferroelectric, photorefractive crystals, strontium barium niobate and lithium niobate in the range 1.3–3 K using spectral hole burning and photon echoes. Both crystals show substitutional disorder and the presence of vacancies. A near-linear temperature dependence of the homogeneous line width is observed in both materials showing the presence of disorder modes or two-level systems (TLS). In the case of lithium niobate the density of states of the TLS is three orders of magnitude lower than in SBN and has not been detected in heat capacity measurements.