Investigating the Mechanism of Rare-Earth Ion Incorporation into Glass-Ceramic Crystal Phases through Er³⁺ Ion Probe...

Exploring the intrinsic mechanisms of rare-earth ions entering the crystal phase has great significance for finely tuning the luminescent properties of glass-ceramics. Using Er³⁺ ions as a probe, X-ray diffraction was employed to precisely measure the crystallinity of SiO₂-PbF₂-Er₂O₃ glass-ceramics synthesized under various heat treatment conditions, confirming the occurrence of a rapid crystallization process. Additionally, by combining Judd-Ofelt theory with comprehensive analyses of absorption and fluorescence spectra, we calculated the relative proportions of Er³⁺ ions present in the crystal phase. We found that the crystallization process in the glass-ceramics and the incorporation of Er³⁺ ions into the crystal phase did not occur synchronously. This discovery provides new theoretical foundations and practical guidance for understanding the mechanism of rare-earth ion incorporation into crystal phases, which is significant for the development of functional materials with specific luminescent properties.