Optical spectroscopy of U3+ doped KPb2Cl5 laser crystal

Non hygroscopic U3+:KPb2Cl5 single crystals with a 0.1 mol% U3+ nominal concentration and good optical quality have been obtained by the Bridgman–Stockbarger method. High-resolution absorption and emission spectra of the crystals were recorded at room temperature in the 4000–25 000 cm−1 and 4000–14 000 cm−1 spectral ranges, respectively. Excitation in the spectral region of 5f3 → 5f26d1 transitions produced a strong near infrared emission from the 4F3/2 and 4I11/2 energy levels. A Judd–Ofelt intensity analysis has been performed in order to describe the electric dipole strengths of the observed transitions. The obtained phenomenological parameters were used to predict luminescence properties of U3+ ions doped in the KPb2Cl5 single crystal.