Electric field effect on the b-absorption lines of cr3+ impurity centers in linbo3

Abstract A Stark effect sensitive differential spectroscopy technique was employed to study the behaviour of the B-absorption lines of Cr3+ impurity centers in LiNbO3. At 77 K a pronounced linear field effect on the B1 and B2 lines occurs for electric fields E || C3 axis and is absent for E ┴ C3, indicating a trigonal C3 symmetry for the Cr3+ position. The magnitude of the linear Stark effect appeared to be ≈ 2.3×10−5cm−1(V/cm)−1 Unexpected opposite signs for the Stark shifts of the B1 and B2 absorption lines were also observed.