Infrared luminescence of rare earth oxide materials

Radioluminescence from rare earth oxide materials was measured in the visible wavelength range and the range from 1000 to 3000 nm in an ion beam accelerator and a fission reactor of Japan Materials Testing Reactor (JMTR). In erbium oxide, peaks at 560, 660, and 1540 nm were observed by the proton beam irradiation, and the complicated luminescence peaks around 1800 and 2000 nm were observed by the proton beam irradiation and at the reactor full power operation of 50 MW. The peaks at 560, 660, and 1540 nm are attributed to the electron transition between the energy levels of Er 3+ ions. The complicated luminescences observed in JMTR were quenched with the irradiation time elapsed, though the intensity was not changed by the irradiation of the proton beam of 2.6 x 10 13 p/cm 2 s. It was considered that the precursors for the complicated luminescent peaks around 1800 and 2000 nm disappeared under the neutrons irradiation.