Fabrication and luminescence properties of Er3+ doped yttrium lanthanum oxide transparent ceramics

Er3+ doped yttrium lanthanum oxide transparent ceramics were fabricated by the conventional ceramics processing and their luminescence properties were investigated. The ceramics displayed high transparency and uniform grains without pores. Under the excitation of 980 nm laser diode, intense green and red up-conversion luminescences were observed due to 2H11/2/4S3/2→4I15/2 and 4F9/2→4I15/2 transitions of Er3+ ions, respectively. 2 at% Er3+:(Y0.9La0.1)2O3 ceramics had longer fluorescence lifetime and the emission cross-sections (σem) at 1536 nm was calculated to be 5.87×10−21 cm−2, while it was 6.83×10−21 cm−2 for 1 at% Er3+:(Y0.9La0.1)2O3 ceramics.