ROOM-TEMPERATURE PERSISTENT SPECTRA HOLE-BURNING IN SM2+-DOPED SILICATE-GLASSES PREPARED BY THE SOL-GEL PROCESS

Persistent spectra hole burning is observed at room temperature in the excitation spectrum for the 7F0→5D0 transition of the Sm2+ ions that are doped in aluminosilicate glass. Glass having the composition of Sm2+-doped Al2O39SiO2 has been prepared by the sol-gel processing of metal alkoxides and the reaction with H2 gas at 800°C. Sol-gel derived glass enables Sm to be doped in the Sm2+ state of which the 4f6 (7F0)→4f55d band does not overlap with the 5D0→7F0 line. The hole width and depth, which are burned by the DCM dye laser, are ∼15 cm-1 and ∼10% of the total intensity, respectively, at 20°C.© 1995 American Institute of Physics.