UV emission properties of highly Pr3+-doped YAG epitaxial waveguides

In this work we present and discuss the dependence of ultraviolet (UV) photoluminescence of praseodymium ion (Pr3+):YAG crystalline waveguides, produced by liquid phase epitaxy, on activator concentration. Praseodymium level influence on UV fluorescence intensity, transition linewidth and dynamics was carefully investigated in order to better understand the nature of processes shaping both the interconfigurational d-f emission and intraconfigurational f-f emissions starting from the 3P0 excited state. The pathways and the role of interconfiguration cross-relaxation in quenching of the UV 4f5d emission are analyzed.