Photoluminescence of Sulfur-Doped Dysprosium Oxide

Rare-earth (RE) ions, such as Dysprosium, have well-defined luminescent properties studied successfully using glass structures typically in oxide form, such as Dy₂O₃. Using the technique of photoluminescence, with an Argon-Ion Laser for excitation, the spectral emission can be collected with a standard GaAs detector and the dominant electronic transitions examined to determine their suitability for applications in solid-state lasers or light-emitting devices. Few literature studies exist on photoluminescence of the powder form of pure Dy₂O₃ powder, which is more practical for light emitting devices. Using our previous research on these pure oxides as a control sample for this project, a collaborative project was undertaken to sinter new samples where sulfur is incorporated at various levels into the structure of the pure Dysprosium oxide samples as Dy₂O_(3-x)S_x, where x-values vary from 0-3, in an attempt to enhance their photoluminescence. Exact levels of dopant incorporated into the samples were determined from a differential analysis of X-Ray diffraction data. A corresponding differential comparison of the photoluminescence emission spectra from the samples exhibits clear enhancement of selected luminescence peaks as the actual S content (x-value) increases.