Stark structure of the Yb3+ ion levels in (YbxY1−x)2Ti2O7 and the crystal field in rare-earth titanates with a pyrochlore structure

The absorption spectra of Yb2Ti2O7 single crystals and the luminescence and luminescence excitation spectra of Y2Ti2O7: Yb (1%) polycrystals were studied in the temperature range 4.2–300 K. The spectra were analyzed in terms of the crystal-field theory and the exchange-charge model. Based on the set of crystal-field parameters found for Yb2Ti2O7, analogous sets of parameters were determined for other rare-earth titanates and proved to be in reasonable agreement with all available experimental data.