Excited state absorption and energy-transfer mechanisms of up-conversion luminescence in Er3+-doped oxyfluoride glass ceramics at different temperatures

Abstract

Abstract Oxyfluoride silicate glass SiO2–Al2O3–Na2CO3–NaF–LaF3–ErF3 was synthesized. The glass transition and crystallization temperatures were determined by differential thermal analysis. Glass ceramics containing LaF3:Er3+ crystallites of size ∼20 nm were formed in the glass matrix after the heat treatment of the precursor glass in the vicinity of the crystallization temperature. Up-conversion luminescence, excitation spectra as well as time-resolved up-conversion luminescence of the glass and glass ceramics were studied at different temperatures. The up-conversion transients showed that at room temperature the dominant mechanism of the up-conversion luminescence in the glass ceramics is excited state absorption while at lower temperatures energy-transfer mechanism prevails. The origins of these differences are discussed in terms of the transitions between Stark manifolds of 4I15/2, 4I11/2 and 4F7/2 states in Er3+ ions.