Influence of Cerium on the Spectral and Structural Characteristics of LuBo3(Ce,Tb)

Abstract

Studies of the structure, IR absorption spectra, luminescence spectra, and excitation of luminescence of Ce3+ and Tb3+ ions in crystals of solid solutions of Lu1 – x – yCexTbyBO3 at 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.01 and 0.07 ≤ y ≤ 0.16 have been performed. It has been shown that the solid solution Lu1 – yTbyBO3 synthesized at T = 970°C has the structure of calcite at 0 ≤ y ≤ 0.07, at y ≥ 0.16—the structure of vaterite, and in the range 0.07 < y < 0.16 is two-phase. It has been found that additional doping of 0.5–1 at % Ce3+ of two-phase Lu1 ‒ yTbyBO3 samples, in which the proportion of the vaterite phase does not exceed ∼20%, leads to a significant reduction of the vaterite phase. It has been shown that Ce3+ ions can be used as structurally sensitive and optically active marks in the analysis of the structural state of rare earth element orthoborates.