Persistent spectral hole burning in Eu3+-doped aluminosilicate glass at high temperature

Persistent spectral hole burning at temperatures up to 200 K was first time observed in Eu3+-ion-doped aluminosilicate glass. Glass having a composition of 2-wt.% Eu2O3-containing Al2O3 . 9SiO(2) was prepared by heating the gel synthesized from metal alkoxides at 900 degrees C. The persistent spectral holes were burned in the F-7(0) --> D-5(0) line of the Eu3+ ions by a dye laser with a bandwidth of similar to 1 cm(-1), of which width and depth were similar to 3 cm(-1) and similar to 10% of the total fluorescence intensity, respectively, at 77 K. It was found that the hole depth decreased with increasing temperature and was erased above 220 K. The local environment of the Eu3+ ions in glass is discussed with regard to the fluorescence line narrowing spectra of the D-5(0) --> F-7(1) transition. (C) 1998 Optical Society of America.