Optical and dielectric properties of isothermally crystallized nano-KNbO3 in Er3+-doped K2O–Nb2O5–SiO2 glasses

Precursor glass of composition 25K2O–25Nb2O5–50SiO2 (mol%) doped with Er2O3 (0.5 wt% in excess) was isothermally crystallized at 800 °C for 0–100 h to obtain transparent KNbO3 nanostructured glass–ceramics. XRD, FESEM, TEM, FTIRRS, dielectric constant, refractive index, absorption and fluorescence measurements were carried out to analyze the morphology, dielectric, structure and optical properties of the glass–ceramics. The crystallite size of KNbO3 estimated from XRD and TEM is found to vary in the range 7–23 nm. A steep rise in the dielectric constant of glass–ceramics with heat-treatment time reveals the formation of ferroelectric nanocrystalline KNbO3 phase. The measured visible photoluminescence spectra have exhibited green emission transitions of 2H11/2, 4S3/2 → 4I15/2 upon excitation at 377 nm (4I15/2 → 4G11/2) absorption band of Er3+ ions. The near infrared (NIR) emission transition 4I13/2 → 4I15/2 is detected around 1550 nm on excitation at 980 nm (4I15/2 → 4I11/2) of absorption bands of Er3+ ions. It is observed that photoluminescent intensity at 526 nm (2H11/2 → 4I15/2), 550 nm (4S3/2 → 4I15/2) and 1550 nm (4I13/2 → 4I15/2) initially decrease and then gradually increase with increase in heat-treatment time. The measured lifetime (τf) of the 4I13/2 → 4I15/2 transition also possesses a similar trend. The measured absorption and fluorescence spectra reveal that the Er3+ ions gradually enter into the KNbO3 nanocrystals.