Effects of Yb～(3 ) codoping on visible and near infrared emissions of Er～(3 )-Yb～(3 ) codoped Al_2O_3 powders by the sol-gel method

The 0.1 mol% Er3 and 0―2 mol% Yb3 codoped Al2O3 powders were prepared by the sol-gel method,and the phase structure,including only two crystalline types of doped Al2O3 phase,γ-(Al,Er,Yb)2O3 and θ-(Al,Er,Yb)2O3,was detected at the sintering temperature of 1000℃. The visible and near infrared emissions properties depended strongly on the Yb3 codoping,and the corresponding maximal peak intensities centered at about 523,545,660 and 1533 nm were obtained respectively for the 0.1 mol% Er3 and 0.5 mol% Yb3 codoped Al2O3 powders,which were composed of θ-(Al,Er,Yb)2O3 and a small amount of γ-(Al,Er,Yb)2O3 phases. The two-photon absorption process was responsible for the visible up-conversion emissions,and the one-photon absorption process was involved in the near infrared emissions of the Er3 -Yb3 codoped Al2O3 powders.