1. Electron spin dynamics of Ce$^{3+}$ ions in YAG crystals studied by pulse-EPR and pump-probe Faraday rotation
- Author
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Azamat, D. V., Belykh, V. V., Yakovlev, D. R., Fobbe, F., Feng, D. H., Evers, E., Jastrabik, L., Dejneka, A., and Bayer, M.
- Subjects
Condensed Matter - Materials Science ,Condensed Matter - Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics ,Physics - Optics - Abstract
The spin relaxation dynamics of Ce$^{3+}$ ions in heavily cerium-doped YAG crystals is studied using pulse-electron paramagnetic resonance and time-resolved pump-probe Faraday rotation. Both techniques address the 4$f$ ground state, while pump-probe Faraday rotation provides also access to the excited 5$d$ state. We measure a millisecond spin-lattice relaxation time $T_1$, a microsecond spin coherence time $T_2$ and a $\sim 10$ ns inhomogeneous spin dephasing time $T_2^*$ for the Ce$^{3+}$ ground state at low temperatures. The spin-lattice relaxation of Ce$^{3+}$ ions is due to modified Raman processes involving the optical phonon mode at 125 cm$^{-1}$. The relaxation at higher temperature goes through a first excited level of the $^{2}$F$_{5/2}$ term at about $\hbar \omega \approx 228$ cm$^{-1}$. Effects provided by the hyperfine interaction of the Ce$^{3+}$ with the $^{27}$Al nuclei are observed., Comment: 10 pages, 13 figures
- Published
- 2017
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