Luminescence spectroscopy of excitons and antisite defects in Lu3Al5O12 single crystals and single-crystal films

2008 
The nature of the intrinsic luminescence of the lutetium aluminum garnet Lu3Al5O12 (LuAG) has been analyzed on the basis of time-resolved spectral kinetic investigations upon excitation of two model objects, LuAG single crystals and single-crystal films, by pulsed X-ray and synchrotron radiations. Due to the differences in the mechanisms and methods of crystallization, these objects are characterized by significantly different concentrations of LuAl antisite defects. The energy structure of luminescence centers in LuAG single crystals (self-trapped excitons (STEs), excitons localized near antisite defects, and LuAl antisite defects) has been established. For single-crystal LuAG films, grown by liquid-phase epitaxy from a Pb-containing flux, the energy parameters of the following luminescence centers have been determined: STEs in regular (unperturbed by the presence of antisite defects) sites of the garnet lattice and excitons localized near Pb2+ ions. The structure of the luminescence centers, related to the background emission of impurity Pb2+ ions, has also been established in the UV and visible ranges. It is suggested that, in contrast to the two-halide hole self-trapping, a self-trapped state similar to STEs in simple oxides (Al2O3, Y2O3) is formed in LuAG; this state is formed by self-trapped holes in the form of singly charged O− ions and electrons localized at excited levels of Lu3+ cations.
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