Abstract

Using persistent spectral hole burning, rare-earth ions doped in crystalline or glassy matrices may prove useful in optical data storage. In the case of Sm²⁺, persistent spectral hole burning is due to photoionization: the Sm²⁺ is oxidized to form Sm³⁺, and the ejected electron is trapped in the matrix. For applications, it is important to understand the trapping mechanism, to identify the nature of the traps, and to see whether they are stable at room temperature. It is also important to study the homogeneous width of the transition because the ratio between the inhomogeneous and the homogeneous width sets a limit to the number of holes one can burn in the corresponding line. We performed studies in this sense on the CaF₂: Sm²⁺ model system.

© 1998 Optical Society of America