Optical Transition Probability of Nd³⁺ Ions Doped in Ferroelectric PLZT for Active Electro-Optical Applications

The optical transition probability of Nd³⁺ (0.5mol%) doped lanthanum-modified lead zirconate titanate (PLZT) is investigated. The absolute intensities of its forced electric dipole transitions between 400nm and 1000nm were measured, from which we obtain three phenomenological parameters, Ω₂= 0.787×10^-20cm², Ω₄= 1.182×10^-20cm², and Ω₆=1.042×10^-20cm^-20, according to the Judd--Ofelt theory. The radiation lifetime (346.9μs) of the ⁴F_3/2 metastable state, the stimulated emission cross-section σ_ij= (2.49×10^-21cm², 6.51×10^-21cm², 2.17×10^-21cm²), and the fluorescence branch ratios are calculated. We also measured the fluorescence lifetime (155.84μs) and calculated the quantum efficiency (46.1%). The analysis reveals that Nd10³⁺-doped PLZT, based on its large electro-optical effect, has potential applications in active optical devices.