Abstract

Trivalent chromium is an efficient sensitizer of Nd³⁺ in several oxide crystal hosts. Since Cr³⁺ cannot be incorporated into many other hosts with the proper crystal field magnitude for Nd³⁺ sensitization, alternative sensitizers would be highly desirable, particularly for fluoride crystals, which have low nonlinear refractive indices. Divalent samarium, which can be incorporated in a number of fluoride hosts, has strong broad absorption bands in the visible and UV, and its red luminescence often overlaps strong Nd absorption lines.

© 1986 Optical Society of America