Effect of pressure on the luminescence properties of Nd3+ doped SrWO4 laser crystal

Abstract The luminescence spectra of the 4 F 3/2  →  4 I 9/2 transition of Nd 3+ ions in a SrWO 4 crystal have been analyzed as a function of pressure at room temperature. Experiments have been performed in a diamond-anvil cell up to 13 GPa. At around 10 GPa some changes in the emission spectra have been observed which are attributed to a structural phase transition of the SrWO 4 matrix. These results are in good agreement with a previous paper, in which in a pure SrWO 4 matrix a scheelite to fergusonite phase transition is found around 10.5 GPa. Moreover, with increasing pressure, the decay curves from the 4 F 3/2 are nonexponential and faster indicating that the energy transfer processes …