Spectroscopic study of radiative intra-configurational 4f→4f transitions in Yb3+-doped materials using high hydrostatic pressure

The influence of the hydrostatic pressure on the radiative intra-configurational 4f -> 4f transitions of several Yb3+ ions doped dielectrics and semiconductors with different energy gaps and crystal structures is presented. A thorough analysis of ambient pressure spectra and the pressure behavior of the Yb3+ luminescence lines in InP, GaN, LiNbO3, YPO4, GdPO4 and Gd3Ga5O12 allowed to determine the ambient pressure and pressure dependence of the Yb3+ energy level positions in crystal fields of different symmetries. The comparison of the Yb3+ luminescence decay times in different crystal hosts and their pressure dependencies have also been carried out. The results revealed the significant effect of interaction between the band states and the dopant states, as well as the local symmetry of ytterbium dopant on its radiative transition rate, a relevant parameter when considering the potential applications of ytterbium as optically active ion in different crystal hosts. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.