Optical properties of Er3+ + Yb3+ doped gallium nitride layers

We report about properties of Gallium Nitride layers doped by Erbium and Erbium/Ytterbium ions. The GaN layers were fabricated by Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition on sapphire substrate, and Er 3+ and Yb 3+ ions were incorporated into the deposited layers by using ion implantation. After the implantation the samples were annealed in nitrogen atmosphere. The structures of the GaN samples were examined by the X-Ray Diffraction analysis; composition of the samples was measured by Rutherford Backscattering Spectroscopy and Elastic Recoil Detection Analysis. The GaN layers had single crystalline hexagonal wurtzite structure and content of Er 3+ and Er 3+ \Yb 3+ ranged from 0.05 to 3.38 at. %. The photoluminescence measurement was carried out at excitation of λ ex = 632.8 nm (temperature 4 K) and λ ex = 980 nm (room temperature). Photoluminescence spectra taken at 4 K showed typical erbium 4 I 13/2 → 4 I 15/2 emission bands. Some of our samples exhibited the desired emission even at the room temperature, which indicated that the samples were of a good quality what concerned their crystallographic homogeneity, as well as distribution and appropriate concentration of the Er 3+ and Yb 3+ .