Luminescence properties of Eu3+ ions doped in Y2−xGdxO3 thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition method

Luminescence properties of Y2−xGdxO3:Eu3+ (x = 0 to 2.0) thin films are investigated by site-selective laser excitation spectroscopy. The films were grown by pulsed laser deposition method on SiO2 (100) substrates. Cubic phase Y2O3 and Gd2O3 and monoclinic phase Gd2O3 are identified in the excitation spectrum of the 7F0 → 5D0 transition of Eu3+. The emission spectra of the 5D0 → 7FJ (J = 1 and 2) transition from individual Eu3+ centers were obtained by tuning the laser to resonance with each excitation line. The excitation line at around 580.60 nm corresponds to the line from Eu3+ with C2 site symmetry of cubic phase. New lines at 578.65 and 582.02 nm for the CS sites of Gd2O3 with monoclinic phase are observed by the incorporation of Gd in Y2O3 lattice. Energy transfer occurs between Eu3+ ions at the CS sites and from Eu3+ ions at the CS sites to those at the C2 site in Y2−xGdxO3.