Crystal field analysis of Er3+ in Sc2O3 transparent ceramics Review Article

A crystal field investigation of Er3+-doped Sc2O3 transparent ceramics is presented. The established energy level diagram is analyzed with crystal-field Hamiltonian of C2 symmetry including J-mixing effect. Very satisfactory correlations were obtained between 53 calculated and experimental Stark energy levels, with an rms of 7.7 cm−1. These results are compared with those reported for other rare earth ions in the same host and with Er3+ ions in other sesquioxides. The concordance between the crystal-field strength parameters indicates the consistence of our analysis. Furthermore, based on the extended electrostatic point charge model, a theoretical trend is proposed for rare earth ions in Sc2O3 in comparison with Y2O3. Based on this trend, very satisfactory results are obtained for Yb3+ ion in Sc2O3.