Growth of Zr codoped Er:LiNbO3 and Er/Yb:LiNbO3 single crystal

Congruent Zr/Er:LiNbO3 and Zr/Er/Yb:LiNbO3 crystals were grown by the Czochralski technique. The structural properties of the grown crystals were confirmed by the powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns. The introduction of Zr4+ ions decreased the intensities of the green and red upconversion emissions in Er:LiNbO3 crystal. The green emission resulted from the two- and three-photon processes in Zr/Er:LiNbO3 crystal, and the suppressed cross relaxation processes 2H9/2+4I15/2→2H11/2/4S3/2+4I13/2 and 4I11/2+4I11/2→4F7/2+4I15/2 were contribution to the reduced green and red emissions. Zr4+ ions doping shortened the lifetime of the 4S3/2→4I15/2 transition, which was responsible for the decreased green emission in Er:LiNbO3 crystal. In the case of Zr/Er/Yb:LiNbO3 crystal, an enhancement of red emission with respect to the green emission was observed. It was proposed that there was a possible cross relaxation process 4I13/2+4I13/2→4F9/2+4I15/2 in Zr/Er/Yb:LiNbO3 crystal.

► Zr/Er:LiNbO3 and Zr/Er/Yb:LiNbO3 were grown by the Czochralski technique.
► The structural properties were confirmed by XRD.
► Green emission in Zr/Er:LiNbO3 was populated via two and three photons processes.
► The opposite red emissions arise from the different cross relaxation.