Luminescent properties of Yb-doped monoclinic yttrium polyphosphates

Yb3+-doped monoclinic yttrium polyphosphate Y(PO3)3 powder compounds were synthesized and were characterized by X-ray diffraction, IR absorption spectroscopy and Raman scattering spectroscopy. An attempt to use Yb3+ ion as structural probe is carried out to investigate the site occupation. Yb3+ emission and fluorescence decay studies were carried out both at low and room temperatures. The interpretation of electronic energy level positions has been done by using the comparison of emission spectra with those of vibronic sideband energy positions from Raman scattering spectroscopy. The spectroscopic results are discussed and correlated with the data of the already known monoclinic structure of Y(PO3)3 where four slightly different octahedral sites are available for the trivalent rare earth ion.