Fluorescence property investigations on Er 3+-doped oxyfluoride glass ceramics containing LaF 3 nanocrystals

Abstract

The fluorescence properties of oxyfluoride glass ceramics containing nanosized LaF 3 crystals with different ErF 3 doping level were investigated. The spectroscopy analysis indicated that a dominant fraction of ErF 3 had been incorporated into the crystal phase. Broad 1.5 μm emission spectra with full width at half maximum (FWHM) value ranging from about 40–100 nm were obtained, which increased accordingly with ErF 3 doping level. Noteworthily, intense green and red upconversion emissions from samples with high ErF 3 doping level were observed when excited even with a 30 mW diode laser at 976 nm. An overall increment of the upconversion emissions intensity, and, a relative increase in intensity of the red emission with respect to that of the green one were also identified with increasing ErF 3 concentration. The possible upconversion mechanisms were proposed.