Crystal Field Effects for Ce3+ and Yb3+ in the Garnets

Abstract

We show that the methods used by Hutchings and Wolf for fitting the Yb3+ spectra in the garnets can be employed, with suitably modified spin-orbit and crystal-field parameters, to calculate the energy levels and wave functions of the electronically similar ion Ce3+. The results are in sufficient agreement with infrared data to verify our interpretation of the Ce3+ spectrum and at the same time to support strongly the Hutchings and Wolf results for Yb3+.