Photochemical hole burning in Sm2+-doped aluminosilicate and borosilicate glasses

We observed the photochemical hole burning in Sm2+-doped silicate glass samples at room temperature. Sm2+-doped Al2O3-SiO2 glass samples and Na2O-Al2O3-SiO2 glass samples were produced with the sol-gel method and a conventional melting and quenching method. The spectral hole for the Sm2+-doped Na2O-Al2O3-SiO2 glass was shallow and poorly resolved compared to the hole in aluminosilicate glass. The difference is due to the D-5(0) (zero phonon line) overlapping with the 4f(5)5d state. The hole width for a non-alkali aluminosilicate glass sample produced by the sol-gel method was somewhat larger than that of a sodium aluminosilicate glass sample. The hole width broadening in the gel-derived glass, is assumed to be due to its more open structure. We also examined the phase separation effect on photochemical hole burning in Sm2+-doped borosilicate glasses. Phase separation in our samples scarcely affected the photochemical hole burning and local structure around the rare earth-ion. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.