1.54μm photoluminescence from Er-doped sol–gel derived In2O3 films embedded in porous anodic alumina

Abstract Porous anodic alumina matrices covered with spin-on erbium-doped In 2 O 3 xerogel films have been synthesized and investigated by photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. At room temperature an emission at 1.54 μm associated with 4 I 13/2 → 4 I 15/2 transitions of Er 3+ ions has been observed for the excitation wavelength of 302 nm, i.e. above the band gap of In 2 O 3 host. The intensity of this emission increases about six times with the increasing of the annealing temperature from 600 to 1000 °C. An absence of Er-related emission peaks for the excitation wavelength beneath the absorption edge of In 2 O 3 xerogel (532 nm) suggest an energy transfer from the In 2 O 3 host to erbium-related luminescence centers. The role of thermal processing of sol–gel derived indium oxide film in the enhancement of the 1.54 μm light emission from Er 3+ ions is discussed.