Site-selective laser and Zeeman infrared spectroscopy of Dy3+ centers in SrF2:Dy3+ -: art. no. 115110

Site-selective laser spectroscopy, Zeeman infrared, and optical absorption have been employed to investigate trivalent dysprosium centers in rare-earth-doped alkaline-earth fluoride crystals. These studies have characterized the two dominant centers in SrF2:0.05%Dy3+, which are determined to be the fluorine compensated C-4v and C-3v centers analogous to those observed in other SrF2:R3+ systems. The C-3v center is shown to correspond to the J center of SrF2:Er3+, rather than the B center reported for SrF2:Ho3+. The wave functions determined from crystal-field calculations have been tested through comparison of measured and calculated Zeeman infrared interactions. Zeeman interactions between close-lying Kramers doublets have enabled the experimental determination of the C-3v crystal-field coordinate basis, resolving an ambiguity that occurs in the crystal-field parametrization.