1. Synthesis, Photoluminescence, and Laser Characteristics of Rare Earth Ions Embedded in Polymeric Plastic Host Dhiraj K. Sardar, P.I., University of Texas at San Antonio, PRF # B6
The Judd-Ofelt model has been applied to the room temperature absorption intensities of Er3+ transitions in a plastic host 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, referred to as HEMA, to determine the three phenomenological intensity parameters: 2, 4, and 6. Values are used to determine the spectroscopic quality factor for Er3+ in HEMA and are compared to those for Er3+ in crystalline hosts. The intensity parameters are subsequently used to determine the radiative decay rates and branching ratios of the Er3+­transitions from the upper multiplet manifolds to the corresponding lower-lying multiplet manifolds 2S+1LJ of Er3+ in HEMA. Using the radiative decay rates for Er3+ transitions between the corresponding excited states and the lower-lying states, the radiative lifetimes of excited states are determined.
3P0  3F2
Room temperature absorption spectrum of Er3+ in HEMA plastic host.