title: Temperature dependence of the E ? 2A far-infrared absorption line of excited chromium ions in ruby.
abstract: By using far-infrared laser spectroscopy we have studied the temperature dependence of the absorption that is due to transitions between the E ((2)E) and 2A ((2)E) levels of excited Cr(3+) ions in ruby. From the temperature dependence of the linewidth we determined the inhomogeneous and the homogeneous contributions to line broadening. From the homogeneous width the lifetime of the 2A level was obtained. We found that, for emperatures up to 70 K, the lifetime is due mainly to one-phonon relaxation, whereas at higher temperatures another relaxation process, probably a two-phonon Raman process, becomes strong.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lengfellner
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hummel
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Netter
authors.forename: K F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Renk