title: Optical dephasing mechanisms in Tm(3+):Y(2)Si(2)O(7).
abstract: Optical dephasing measurements are reported for Tm(3+):Y(2)Si(2)O(7) as a function of temperature and laser excitation intensity. By use of photon echoes, a coherence time of T(2) = 23 micros was measured at 1.24 K for the (3)H(6)(1) ? (3)H(4)(1) transition at 790.427 nm, corresponding to a homogeneous linewidth of 14 kHz. The relatively broad inhomogeneous linewidth of 100 GHz gives an inhomogeneous-to-homogeneous linewidth ratio of Gamma(inh)/Gammah = 7 x 10(6). This large ratio, a transition wavelength suitable for GaAlAs semiconductor lasers, and the absence of hyperfine structure hole burning make this material a good candidate for time-domain signal processing and transient optically addressed data storage.
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Equall
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Cone
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Leask
authors.forename: K W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Godfrey
authors.forename: F R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Wondre