Yb3+ as an origin of the strong anti-Stokes luminescence in NIR FT-Raman spectra of some lanthanide sesquioxides.

ABSTRACT

Strong anti-Stokes bands observed in FT-Raman spectra of Y2O3, Gd2O3 and Lu2O3 are explained by NIR luminescence of Yb3+ impurities present in sesquioxides after the excitation with the 1064 nm line of an NdYAG laser. Samples of Y2O3Yb, Ga2O3Yb, CeO2Yb, Gd2O3Yb and Lu2O3Yb were prepared by solution combustion synthesis procedure using urea. All materials were investigated by FT-Raman and FT-NIR spectroscopy and characterized by X-ray powder diffraction.