Optical spectra, energy levels, and crystalhyphen;field analysis of tripositive rare earth ions in Y2O3. I. Kramers ions inC2sites

摘要

Optical absorption and fluorescence spectra of the Kramers ions Ce3+, Sm3+, Dy3+, and Yb3+in theC2sites of Y2O3are reported. A crystalhyphen;field analysis of these data and previously reported data for Nd3+and Er3+is performed that is based on a Hamiltonian ofC2pointhyphen;group symmetry, including Jhyphen;mixing effects. A besthyphen;fit analysis is performed for the ions Nd3+, Sm3+, Dy3+, and Er3+; resulting rms deviations between calculated and experimental levels range from 5.1 to 7.9 cmminus;1. Results of this analysis are used to obtain a smoothed set of crystalhyphen;field parameters for the entire lanthanide series; these smoothed parameters are used to predict the energy levels of Ce3+, Yb3+, and Gd3+in Y2O3. Predictions for Ce3+and Yb3+are compared with experimental data.