Parametric analysis of the energy level scheme of Ho3+ in HoOCl

Abstract The optical UV-vis-NIR as well as high-resolution FT-IR absorption spectra of the tetragonal HoOCl were measured at selected temperatures between 9 and 300 K. The luminescence spectra of LaOCl : Ho 3+ and GdOCl : Ho 3+ were obtained at 77 K and room temperature. The energy level scheme of Ho 3+ (4f 10 electron configuration) in HoOCl was simulated with a Hamiltonian of 20 parameters. The procedure consisted of a simultaneous diagonalization of the free ion and crystal field (c.f.) interactions with a untruncated set of wave functions for the C 4v point symmetry of the Ho 3+ site in REOCl. Good agreement was achieved (rms deviation: 20 cm −1 ) between 181 experimental and calculated energy level values. The results were found consistent with those for Pr 3+ , Nd 3+ , Sm 3+ , Eu 3+ , Tb 3+ , Dy 3+ , Er 3+ , and Tm 3+ in respective REOCl matrices.