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Red upconversion emission in LiNbO3 codoped with Er3+ and Eu3+.
Ai-Hua Li1, Zhi-Ren Zheng, Tian-Quan Lü
1Center for Condensed Matter Science and Technology, Department of Physics, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, PR China.
Optics Express
|March 5, 2009
Summary
Efficient red upconversion emission is achieved in erbium (Er3+) and europium (Eu3+) codoped lithium niobate (LiNbO3) crystals. This demonstrates potential for diode laser-excited red light generation.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Photonics
- Solid-State Physics
Background:
- Upconversion (UC) materials convert lower-energy photons to higher-energy ones.
- Lanthanide ions like Erbium (Er3+) and Europium (Eu3+) are key dopants for UC applications.
- Lithium niobate (LiNbO3) is a versatile host material with excellent optical properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate red upconversion emission in Er3+/Eu3+ codoped LiNbO3.
- To explore energy transfer mechanisms between Er3+ and Eu3+ ions.
- To assess the feasibility of using diode lasers for excitation.
Main Methods:
- Synthesizing LiNbO3 crystals codoped with specific concentrations of Er3+ and Eu3+.
- Exciting the codoped crystals using 800 nm femtosecond laser.
- Analyzing the resulting upconversion emission spectra and calculating energy transfer efficiency.
Main Results:
- Achieved red upconversion (UC) emission at 626 nm.
- Observed efficient energy transfer from Er3+ to Eu3+ ions.
- Determined an energy transfer efficiency of approximately 30% with an Er-Eu transfer microparameter.
Conclusions:
- Er3+/Eu3+ codoped LiNbO3 exhibits efficient red UC emission.
- Energy transfer from Er3+ excited-state absorption to Eu3+ is the primary mechanism.
- The system shows promise for applications requiring red light generation using diode lasers.
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