Persistent spectral hole-burning of Pr³⁺ ions in yttria stabilized zirconia: a new hole-burning material

Persistent spectral hole-burning has been observed in Pr³⁺ doped yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) and used to measure the homogeneous linewidth (G{cyrillic}_h). Holes can be burned only in the lowest crystal field component of the ³H₄→¹D₂ transition of Pr³⁺ ions (6115 Å, inhomogeneous linewidth: ∼100 cm^-1) and observed below 25 K. Homogeneous linewidth of the transition is found to be 155 MHz at 4.2 K and to have a T^1.20±0.1-dependence. Such a temperature dependence is quite similar to that usually observed in organic-molecules-doped polymers and coupling of electrons to the two level system (TLS) is suggested for the phase relaxation process.