Two-pulse and stimulated nuclear-quadrupole-resonance echoes in YAlO3:Pr3+

The dephasing of trivalent praseodymium dilute in yttrium aluminum oxide (YAlO3) in the ground electronic state 3H4 state is evaluated using an optically detected method, to measure two-rf-pulse- and three-rf-pulse-stimulated nuclear quadrupole echoes. The magnitude of the echo is obtained by detecting the weak Raman optical field generated by the interaction of the magnetic moment of the echo and a light beam resonant with the 3H4(0 cm1) to 1D2(16 374 cm 121) optical transition. This same light beam is used as an optical pump (37-ms duration) prior the rf-pulse sequence to increase the population difference of the hyperfine energy levels, thereby improving the echo signal. The light is turned off 9 ms before the rf-pulse sequence and remains off until the echo to avoid optical-pumping effects on the measured nuclear-quadrupole-resonance (NQR) echo lifetime. The dephasing time T2 from two-pulse nuclear-quadrupole-echo measurement is found to be 366\ub129 \u3bcs.Peer reviewed: YesNRC publication: Ye