Mid-infrared luminescence properties of Dy-doped silver halide crystals

The absorption and the kinetics of the emission in the mid-infrared (mid-IR) were investigated in AgCl_xBr_1-x crystals doped with Dy³⁺ ions. Strong emission bands were detected at 3, 4.4, and 5:5 μm and attributed to the ⁶H_13/2 → ⁶H_15/2, ⁶H_11/2 → ⁶H_13/2, and ⁶F_11/2 + ⁶H_9/2 → ⁶H_11/2 transitions. Various optical parameters were calculated for the Dy³⁺ doped crystals, using the Judd-Ofelt approximation and the rate equations. The measured results and the calculated parameters indicate that these doped crystals could be used for the development of mid-IR solid-state lasers or mid-IR fiber lasers.