Structural and optical properties of neodymium-doped lutetium fluoride thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition

Abstract Neodymium-doped lutetium fluoride (Nd 3+ :LuF 3 ) thin films were successfully grown on MgF 2 (0 0 1) substrates by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). It is void of cracks that are otherwise prevalent due to structural phase transitions in Nd 3+ :LuF 3 during thin film deposition and bulk crystal growth. Cathodoluminescence (CL) spectra revealed multiple emission peaks, with a dominant peak in the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) region at 179 nm. This peak has a decay time of 6.7 ns. The ability to grow high quality Nd 3+ -doped fluoride thin films would enable fabrication of VUV light-emitting devices that will enhance applications requiring efficient VUV light sources.