Fluorescence of Er 3+ :AlN polycrystalline ceramic

We report what we believe to be the first preparation and optical spectroscopy of Er3+ doped into bulk AlN ceramic. The material was prepared via hot press sintering of AlN with Er2O3 and [NH4][ErF4], which yielded fully dense, translucent, hexagonal AlN. The Er3+ concentration is a small fraction of a percent, and resides in multiple sites, with one type of center dominant. A number of the energy levels of Er3+ are identified for this center. The temperature dependent fluorescence lifetime is probably radiative, and on that basis the stimulated emission and absorption cross section spectra are inferred for the I-4(13/2) <-> I-4(15/2) transitions. (C) 2011 Optical Society of America