Photoluminescence spectra of CuAlS2 doped with Er

Detailed photoluminescence (PL) spectra of CuAlS2 doped with Er (and Fe) ar e observed at various temperatures and pressures. Both broad PL derived fro m host material CuAlS2 and sharp PL peaks derived from doped lanthanide ion s exist in FL. Even at 2 K, there are more than 21 peaks in sharp PL assign ed to transition from S-4(3/2) to T-4(15/2). This indicates that Er3+ ions exist under some different environments. When increasing the applied pressu res, the fact that each peak shifts to lower energy is explained by increas ing crystal fields and mixing of its higher energy states. (C) 2000 Elsevie r Science B.V. All rights reserved.