Luminescence study of the 4f25d configuration of Nd3+ in LiYF4, LiLuF4 and BaY2F8 crystals

Ultraviolet fluorescence of Nd3+ ions induced by triphotonic excitation process was studied in Nd-doped LiYF4, LiLuF4 and BaY2F8 crystals using a technique of time-resolved spectroscopy. The observed ultraviolet luminescence was due to transitions between the bottom of 4f25d configuration and 4f3 states of Nd3+ ions. Narrow emission lines superposed to the broadband emissions were observed. A detailed analysis of luminescence spectrum revealed that the narrow emissions are due to parity and spin allowed radiative transitions from the Stark levels of 4K11/2(5d) state created by the electrostatic interaction between the 5d electron and the two electrons of the 4f2 configuration. The narrow emissions are related to the high spin state (S=3/2) which gives f-f characteristics to the f-d broadband emissions. The narrow emissions superposed to the wide emission correspond to 18%, 34% and 43% of the integrated broadband emission at 262nm observed in LiYF4, LiLuF4 and BaY2F8 crystals, respectively. Although the 5d-4f2 interaction is observed to be weaker than 5d-crystal field interaction, it is stronger enough to select only the radiative transitions from 4f25d configuration to 4f3 states that preserves the total spin S=3/2