Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 20, 2026

Hyperspectral Imaging as a Tool to Study Optical Anisotropy in Lanthanide-Based Molecular Single Crystals
Published on: April 14, 2020
Spin-lattice relaxation in the excited (4)S(3/2) state of Er(3+) in LaF(3)
Abstract:
We have employed a purely optical method to measure spin-lattice relaxation in the lower excited (4)S(3/2) state of Er(3+) in LaF(3) at helium temperatures. Above 3 K the relaxation is dominated by an Orbach process through the upper (4)S(3/2) state. Below 3 K the relaxation is caused by some residual mechanism that obscures the Kramers-Van Vleck direct process. By relating the Orbach relaxation measurements to the homogeneous broadening of the upper (4)S(3/2) level, we determine values of the transition rates between the upper and lower (4)S(3/2) states.
Related Concept Videos
Atomic Nuclei: Types of Nuclear Relaxation
In spin–lattice or longitudinal relaxation, the excited spins exchange energy with the surrounding lattice as they return to the lower energy level. Among several mechanisms that contribute to spin–lattice relaxation, magnetic dipolar interactions are significant. Here, the excited nucleus transfers energy to a nearby...
Lattice Energies of Ionic Crystals
Trends in Lattice Energy: Ion Size and Charge
Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Relaxation Processes
The Born-Haber Cycle
Crystal Field Theory - Tetrahedral and Square Planar Complexes
Crystal field theory (CFT) is applicable to molecules in geometries other than octahedral. In octahedral complexes, the lobes of the dx2−y2 and dz2 orbitals point directly at the ligands. For tetrahedral complexes, the d orbitals remain in place, but with only four ligands located between the axes. None of the orbitals points directly at the tetrahedral ligands. However, the dx2−y2 and dz2 orbitals (along the Cartesian axes) overlap with the ligands less than the dxy,...

