Abstract

The study of the optical properties of actinide ions is important because of the potential both to discover new optical devices and to test theories that have been developed for lanthanide ions. Optical transitions occur between 5fⁿ orbitals, which have properties similar to the 4fⁿ states of tire lanthanides. The wavefunetions of the 5fⁿ states have a greater spatial extent than those of the 4fⁿ states, so the interaction with the host is stronger in actinides than in lanthanide ions. Thus we expect to observe faster dephasing of excitation in actinides than in corresponding lanthanides.

© 1993 Optical Society of America