Hidden local symmetry of Eu{sup 3+} in xenotime-like crystals revealed by high magnetic fields
- Wuhan National High Magnetic Field Center, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074 (China)
- Department of Physics, Key Laboratory of Artificial Micro- and Nanostructures of Ministry of Education and School of Physics and Technology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072 (China)
The excellent optical properties of europium-doped crystals in visible and near infrared wavelength regions enable them to have broad applications in optoelectronics, laser crystals and sensing devices. The local site crystal fields can affect the intensities and peak positions of the photo-emission lines strongly, but they are usually difficult to be clarified due to magnetically degenerate 4f electronic levels coupling with the crystal fields. Here, we provide an effective way to explore the hidden local symmetry of the Eu{sup 3+} sites in different hosts by taking photoluminescence measurements under pulsed high magnetic fields up to 46 T. The zero-field photoluminescence peaks split further at high magnetic fields when the Zeeman splitting energy is comparable to or larger than that of the crystal field induced zero-field splitting. In particular, a magnetic field induced crossover of the local crystal fields has been observed in the GdVO{sub 4}:Eu{sup 3+} crystal, which resulted from the alignment of Gd{sup 3+} magnetic moment in high magnetic fields; and a hexagonally symmetric local crystal fields was observed in the YPO{sub 4} nanocrystals at the Eu{sup 3+} sites characterized by the special axial and rhombic crystal field terms. These distinct Zeeman splitting behaviors uncover the crystal fields-related local symmetry of luminescent Eu{sup 3+} centers in different hosts or magnetic environments, which are significant for their applications in optics and optoelectronics.
- OSTI ID:
- 22413077
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 117, Issue 5; Other Information: (c) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-8979
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
COUPLING
CRYSTAL FIELD
CRYSTALS
DOPED MATERIALS
ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE
EUROPIUM IONS
GADOLINIUM COMPOUNDS
GADOLINIUM IONS
LASER RADIATION
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETIC MOMENTS
NANOSTRUCTURES
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
PHOTOLUMINESCENCE
VANADATES
XENOTIME
YTTRIUM PHOSPHATES
YTTRIUM SULFATES
ZEEMAN EFFECT