Crystal growth and spectral properties of Tb: Lu₂O₃

The crystal growth, x-ray diffraction pattern, absorption spectrum, emission spectrum, and fluorescence lifetime of a Tb:Lu₂O₃ single crystal were studied. Excited at 483 nm, the peak absorption cross-section was calculated to be 3.5×10^-22 cm², and the full width at half maximum was found to be 2.85 nm. The Judd-Ofelt (J-O) intensity parameters Ω₂, Ω₄, and Ω₆ were computed to be 3.79×10^-20 cm², 1.30×10^-20 cm², and 1.08×10^-20 cm², with a spectroscopic quality factor Ω₄/Ω₆ being 1.20. The emission cross-sections of green emission around 543 nm and yellow emission around 584 nm were calculated to be 9.43×10^-22 cm² and 1.32×10^-22 cm², respectively. The fluorescence lifetime τ_exp of ⁵D₄ was fitted to be 1.13 ms. The data suggest that the Tb:Lu₂O₃ crystal could be a potential candidate for green and yellow laser operation.