Optical emission bands of Sm2O3 and their link with crystalline defects and 4fd→4fd electronic transitions at UV-Vis region

Abstract

The Chemical Bath deposition method has been used to synthesize Samarium Oxide (Sm2O3) in previous research where the morphological, structural, and optical properties were studied after thermal annealing treatment at ~1000 °C in the air atmosphere. The present study continues the research on this interesting inorganic material. The average grain size is located at ranges ~22.10 nm to ~28.20 nm, and the optical absorption shows two bands located at ~277 nm (~4.47 eV) and ~408 nm (~3.03 eV) situated in the UV-Vis region. We apply the photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopic technique to examine the emission bands that overlap with the 4fd→4fd electronic transitions in the context of some optical properties at the UV-Vis region. The emission signals present peaks at ~2.52, ~2.55, ~2.56, ~2.60, ~2.63 and ~2.66 eV. Likewise, the Maxwell-Boltzmann statistical model (MBSM) is employed to correlate the native crystalline defects with the cited electronic transitions and emission bands. Finally, the MBSM theoretical curve wraps the emission signals associated with the 4fd→4fd electronic transitions linked with crystalline native defects confirmed by the calculated density of traps. A brief analysis of the chemical kinetics of crystal growth is proposed here.