Effect of Cerium codoping on Er: BaY2F8 crystals

We present the Erbium 4I11/2 and 4I13/2 complete polarized spectroscopic investigation on a series of Er3+,Ce3+:BaY2F8 single crystals as a function of Cerium concentration. The main results of room temperature lifetime investigation show that the 4I13/2 lifetime reduces from 15.6 ms to 10 ms, the 4I11/2 lifetime reduces from 8.3 ms to 0.2 ms and 4S3/2 lifetime reduces from 420 to 110 ?s when adding 4% Ce-codoping. Moreover, in the same experimental conditions, the fluorescence intensity from 4I13/2 increases by four times when adding 4%Ce, and the intensity of the 3 um 4I11/2->4I13/2 transition becomes undetectable. The experimental data are interpreted with a rate equation model. The obtained results could be interesting in perspective of obtaining a low-threshold 1.5 um Er laser.