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Published on: December 14, 2017
Nuclear-quadrupole optical hole burning in the stoichiometric material EuP5O14
R M Macfarlane1, R M Shelby, A Z Genack
1IBM Research Laboratory, San Jose, California 95193, USA.
Hole burning in EuP5O14 reveals slow nuclear spin dynamics. This optical technique enables sensitive detection of nuclear magnetic resonance and quadrupole resonance, determining splittings in ground and excited states.
Area of Science:
- Solid State Physics
- Quantum Optics
- Materials Science
Background:
- Hole burning is a spectroscopic technique used to study optical transitions.
- Rare-earth compounds like EuP5O14 exhibit complex electronic and nuclear properties.
- Conventional magnetic resonance is challenging for Eu3+ due to its small magnetic moment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate hole burning in EuP5O14.
- To explore the application of hole burning for optically detected nuclear magnetic resonance (ODNMR) and nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR).
- To determine quadrupole splittings in the ground and excited states of Eu3+ in EuP5O14.
Main Methods:
- Observation of hole burning in EuP5O14.
- Utilizing optically detected nuclear quadrupole resonance (ODNQR).
- Measuring quadrupole splittings in the 7F0 and 5D0 states.
Main Results:
- Hole burning was successfully observed in EuP5O14, attributed to optical pumping of nuclear-quadrupole levels.
- The observed holes exhibit a long lifetime (~60 min), indicating slow nuclear-spin flip-flop rates.
- Quadrupole splittings in the ground (7F0) and excited (5D0) states were determined using ODNQR.
Conclusions:
- Hole burning is a sensitive method for optical detection of NMR and NQR in Eu3+ compounds.
- The study provides insights into the nuclear spin dynamics and electronic structure of EuP5O14.
- ODNQR is a valuable technique for characterizing rare-earth materials where conventional methods are difficult.
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