Time-resolved luminescent VUV-spectroscopy of pure and doped by rare earth ions crystals of strontium fluoride

The spectroscopic properties SrF2–Eu(1%), SrF2–Er(1%) and nominal pure SrF2 crystals have been studied using time-resolved vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) spectroscopy under pulsed synchrotron radiation excitation. The 4fk↔4fk−15d (f–d) and 4fk↔4fk (f−f) excitation spectra and emission spectra (with and without of time resolution) have been investigated in the wide energy region at 8 and 295 K. Moreover, the emission and excitation behaviors of intrinsic luminescence SrF2 have been studied at 8 K, when the fast and slow components given by singlet and triplet relaxation of self-trapped excitons (STE) are observed. Special attention is devoted to VUV emission of Er3+-doped SrF2 due to spin-allowed and spin-forbidden 4f105d→4f11 transitions.