Dopant occupancy and increased exposure energy of Zr:Yb:Ho:LiNbO3 crystals

• Zr:Yb:Ho:LiNbO3 crystals with various Zr4+ concentrations were grown.
• Distribution coefficients of Zr4+ increase as the Zr4+ concentration increases.
• Distribution coefficients of Yb3+ and Ho3+ ions decrease as the Zr4+ concentration increases.
• The exposure energy of sample Zr5 is two orders higher than that of sample Zr0.

Yb:Ho:LiNbO3 crystals tridoped with various Zr4+ concentrations (0, 1, 2 and 5 mol%) were grown by Czochraski technique. Defect structure and dopant occupancy of Zr:Yb:Ho:LiNbO3 crystals were determined by IR transmission spectrum. The effective distribution coefficient of Zr ion increases with increasing ZrO2 concentration in the melts, which is near to one. The light-induced scattering of Zr:Yb:Ho:LiNbO3 crystals was quantitatively measured via the incident exposure energy. The exposure energy of Zr (5 mol%):Yb:Ho:LiNbO3 crystal is 49.33 J/cm2, which is two orders higher than that of Yb:Ho:LiNbO3 crystal in magnitude. The photoconductivity is key factor to understand the internal relationship between the dopant occupancy and exposure energy of the crystals.

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