On the theory of ultranarrow pure-electronic zero-phonon lines

A pure-electronic zero-phonon line, which represents an optical analog of the Mossbauer gamma -resonance line, is a cornerstone of three remarkable areas of spectroscopy and optics of impurity solids, namely, ultrahigh-resolution spectroscopy, persistent hole-burning spectroscopy, and spectroscopy of single impurity molecules. In recent experiments made by the photon echo technique, a zero-phonon line width as small as 78 Hz was achieved (with the Q-factor, i.e., the ratio of the transition frequency to the line width being 2 x 10(14) : 78 approximate to 10(12)), which is several tenfold lower than the frequency shift of the vibronic spectrum caused by the momentum of the absorbed or emitted photon of optical range. We estimate the position, intensity, and width of zero-phonon lines under conditions when these characteristics, as well as properties of the phonon wing, are determined not only by Stokes losses but also by the photon recoil effect. It is shown that the latter effect, within the approximation used, does not lead to strong and easily detectable phenomena. They, however, take place, and their study is becoming more topical with improving accuracy and sophistication of the experimental technique (in the photon echo configurations, etc.). (C) 2001 MAIK "Nauka/Interperiodica".