Absorption and emission of ErNbO4 powder

Visible and near infrared absorption and emission (488 nm excitation) characteristics of ErNbO4 powder, which were prepared by calcining the Er2O3 (50 mol%) and Nb2O5 (50 mol%) powder mixture at 1100 and 1600 °C for different durations, have been investigated at room temperature. The absorption and emission characteristics of these calcined ErNbO4 powder were summarized and discussed in comparison with those of Er2O3. Weak emission of Er2O3 relative to the calcined ErNbO4 is mainly conducted with absorption difference at the excitation wavelength 488 nm. The obvious spectral changes from Er2O3 to calcined ErNbO4 samples are related to an elevated-temperature-assisted phase transformation according to the solid-state chemical reaction equation: Er2O3 + Nb2O5 <f>⇌</f> 2ErNbO4, which results in the changes of the ion environment of Er3+ and hence changes of the Stark levels of Er3+. The further spectral change as the strengthened calcination results from the improvement of ErNbO4 purity in the calcined mixture. The borders between two green transitions and between two near infrared transitions in the emission spectra of both calcined samples and Er2O3 were tentatively identified by referencing earlier reported emission spectra of the precipitated Z-cut VTE Er(2.0 mol%):LiNbO3 crystal and the match relation between absorption and emission spectra of the ErNbO4 powder. A comparison was performed on the spectra of calcined ErNbO4 powder and those of VTE Er(2.0 mol%):LiNbO3 crystals. The results allow to preliminarily deem the contribution of ErNbO4 precipitates, generated inside these crystals by the VTE procedure, to the spectra of these crystals. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]