Spectroscopic characterizations of Dy:LaF3 crystal

•A Dy-doped LaF3 sing crystal was successfully grown by the Bridgman method.•The spectral parameters of Dy:LaF3 crystal were calculated in detail.•Optical properties of Dy:LaF3 for ∼2.86 μm and 570 nm lasers were systematically studied for the first time.

A Dy:LaF3 crystal was grown successfully by the Bridgman method, and X-ray diffraction results show that it is well-crystallized. The room temperature absorption spectra, fluorescence spectra and the fluorescence decay curves were measured. On the basis of J-O theory, the emission probabilities, branching ratios, and the radiation lifetimes of the 4F9/2 and 6H13/2 manifolds were calculated. The stimulated emission cross-sections of the 4F9/2 → 6H13/2 transition (∼570 nm) and the 6H13/2 → 6H15/2 transition (∼2.86 μm) were obtained by the Fuchtbauer-Ladenburg equation. The fluorescence lifetime of the 4F9/2 and 6H13/2 manifolds are 1.37 ms and 9.73 ms, respectively. All these results were first investigated, indicating the Dy:LaF3 crystal a promising material for 570 nm and 2.86 μm laser applications.