Cr3+ spectroscopy study in ZnO-codoped and Zn-in-diffused congruent LiNbO3:Cr crystals

This paper reports on the spectroscopy properties, absorption and luminescence, of Cr3+ ions in singly doped, ZnO-codoped, and Zn in-diffused LiNbO3:Cr crystals. In addition to the broad absorption, inter-ionic transitions ascribed to Cr3+ ions located in Li+ and Nb5+ sites; [Cr]Li and [Cr]Nb centres two absorption bands at higher energy are reported and ascribed to the charge transfer transitions of the Cr3+ ions of the two defect centres. The charge transfer transitions are used as optical probe to study the role of the Zn ions in the Zn in-diffused LiNbO3:Cr samples. It has been observed that the Zn-in-diffused processes created [Cr]Nb centres in the diffusion zone. The location of the diffused Zn2+ ions is considered to be in Li+ site, displacing the Cr3+ ions from the Li+ sites, [Cr]Li, to the Nb5+ positions, [Cr]Nb