Influence of the anionic environment of Er3+ ions in a germanate glass

Abstract A germanate glass (GeO 2 –PbO–PbF 2 ) has been doped with different erbium compounds (oxides and halides): Er 2 O 3 , ErF 3 , ErOF and ErCl 3 . A conservation of the initial coordination sphere, oxygen, fluorine, chlorine, of the erbium ions before melting of the powders has been observed in the as-melted glasses through the variation of their thermal analysis curves. The optical properties of erbium ions in the as-melted glasses doped with the different compounds have been shown to differ; their fluorescence lifetime are modified when their absorption line shape remains nearly unaffected.