Local vibration around rare earth ions in SiO2-PbF2 glass and glass ceramics using Eu3+ probe

The phonon sideband spectra (PSB) and emission spectra of Eu3+ in transparent SiO2-PbF2 glass and glass ceramics containing β-PbF2 nanocrystals were investigated. The local vibration around Eu3+ ion in glass and glass ceramics was obtained by analyzing the phonon sideband associated with the Eu3+:5D2→7F0, and the Judd-Ofelt parameters were calculated from emission spectra. According to PSB, phonon energy around Eu3+ ion in glass ceramics was much lower than that in glass. The J-O parameters and emission spectra indicated that the Eu3+ ions had entered into crystalline environment of the β-PbF2 nanocrystals.