Of Silica Gel-Glasses on the 4 I 13/2 → 4 I 15/2 Luminescence Bandwidth of Er3 Ions

The luminescence of Er3 ions in silica glasses synthesized by the direct sol–gel–glass transition method and by melting of activated gel grit using various precursors of optical centers was studied. The formation of complex centers including erbium, aluminum, and alkali metal ions was found to be one way of essentially increasing the half-width of the 4 I 13/2 → 4 I 15/2 luminescence band of these ions.

Keyword: complex optical centers; luminescence; rare earth ions; sol–gel method