4f(N-1)5d -> 4f(N) Emission Of Ce3+, Pr3+, Nd3+, Er3+, And Tm3+ In Liyf4 And Ypo4

High-resolution 4f(n-1)5d-->4f(n) emission spectra in the (vacuum) ultraviolet are reported for Ce3+, Pr3+, Nd3+, Er3+, and Tm3+ in LiYF4 and YPO4 host lattices. The positions and intensities of the zero-phonon lines are calculated and compared to the high-resolution emission spectra. For the thulium samples gated detection has been used to distinguish between the spin-forbidden and spin-allowed 4f(n-1)5d-->4f(n) emissions. Luminescence lifetimes for the spin-forbidden 4f(n-1)5d-->4f(n) emissions are calculated and compared with experimentally observed lifetimes. A good agreement between experiment and theory is found, demonstrating the validity of the model developed for the 4f(n-1)5d and 4f(n) states of lanthanide ions.