Fluorescence characteristics from microemulsion technique derived erbium (III) oxide nanocrystals

This paper reports the preparation and fluorescence characteristics of erbi um (III) oxide nanocrystals, The erbium oxide phosphors were synthesized th rough a microemulsion technique. Transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction were used to characterize the phosphor nanoparticles and revea ls a nanocrystal structure and the size in the range from 5 to 30 nm in dia meter. A room-temperature photoluminescence was observed at 1.54 mum with a full width at half-maximum (FWHM) of 22 nm due to intra-atomic transitions (I-4(13/2) --> I-4(15/2)) levels in the erbium (III) ions. It was also obs erved that the shape and the FWHM of the photoluminescence signals from the composite film prepared by embedding the nanocrystals into titania/organic ally modified silane composite matrix are quite similar to those from the n anocrystal, but its peak position shifted from 1.540 mum to 1.531 mum. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.