Optical Spectroscopy Of Li6y(Bo3)(3) Single Crystals Doped With Dysprosium

The energy levels of Dy3+ ions have been determined in lithium yttrium borate (Li6Y(BO3)(3)) single crystals in a wide spectral range between 3000 and 40,000 cm(-1) using optical absorption and luminescence spectroscopy, which also allow for an analysis of the ground state. The crystal field splittings of the H-6(15/2) ground state and all excited states up to the F-4(7/2) manifold were obtained at a low temperature, based on luminescence (T = 4.2-78 K) and absorption (T = 8-100 K) measurements, respectively. The numbers of experimentally observed Stark sublevels are in agreement with those expected theoretically for Dy3+ ions occupying a single low symmetry (C-1) site.