Optical spectroscopy of erbium-doped lutetium orthophosphate

Experimental spectroscopic investigations of the absorption and luminescenc e properties of Er3+ ions doped into single crystals of the tetragonal-symm etry host LuPO4 are reported. The LuPO4 host permits the incorporation of r elatively high concentrations of lanthanide dopants such as Er3+. The fluor escence decay of the I-4(13/2)-I-4(15/2) emission was found to be governed by a single exponential decay process when excited with a low-intensity pum p source. However, experiments performed on samples of different concentrat ions show that Er3+ ions in LuPO4. experience concentration quenching as we ll as self-trapping. Using high-Er-concentration samples, emissions were al so observed at visible wavelengths due to up-conversion processes. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.