Luminescence studies of Nd 3+- and Yb 3+-doped α-Y(IO 3) 3 and β-Y(IO 3) 3, transparent host matrix in the mid- and beginning of the far-infrared

Abstract

α-Y(IO 3) 3 and β-Y(IO 3) 3 are transparent until 12.8 and 13.4 μm, respectively; thus they are interesting as a potential laser matrix in the mid- and beginning of the far-infrared. So, in order to investigate the properties of lanthanides- doped anhydrous yttrium iodate, polycrystalline samples of α-Y 1− x Nd x (IO 3) 3 (0.01⩽ x⩽0.05), β-Y 1− x Nd x (IO 3) 3 (0.001⩽ x⩽0.1), α-Y 1− x Yb x (IO 3) 3 (0.01⩽ x⩽0.33) and β-Y 1− x Yb x (IO 3) 3 (0.01⩽ x⩽0.25) were synthesized. For Nd 3+ ions, fluorescent emissions from the 4F 3/2 multiplet were observed at 300 K under pulsed laser excitations at 750 nm and for Yb 3+, fluorescent emissions from the 2F 5/2 multiplet were observed at 300 K under pulsed laser excitations at 980 nm. The decays of all these emissions were measured. They are exponential and the fluorescence lifetimes are in the range 0.093–0.193 ms for Nd 3+ and 0.370–0.541 ms for Yb 3+, depending on the nature of the host and the concentration of doping.