Dynamics of the UV-Induced Absorption of Laser Light by Color Centers in Crystalline KY3F10:Ce3+,Yb3+

© 2014, Springer Science+Business Media New York. A pump-probe method is used to study the dynamics of the destruction of color centers in KY3F10:Ce3+ and KY3F10:Ce3+,Yb3+ crystals by continuous UV radiation and to measure its parameters. The effect of Yb3+ ions in crystalline KY3F10:Ce3+,Yb3+ on the rate of bleaching of color centers in it under exposure to the probe light is studied. Irradiation of KY3F10:Ce3+ and KY3F10:Ce3+,Yb3+ crystals at a wavelength corresponding to an absorption band of a color center accelerates the destruction of the color centers and the reduction of Yb2+ ions to the trivalent state in proportion to the density of the radiation. A model is constructed for the bleaching mechanism that can be used to estimate the ionization cross section of the color centers