Synthesis, Fabrication, and Photoluminescence of CaF2 Doped with Rare Earth Ions

Ambient condition wet synthetic techniques were used to synthesize CaF2 doped with europium and erbium. Photoluminescence spectroscopy and energy-dispersive x-ray analyses were used to study the electronic states of rare earth (RE) ions and the degree of heterogeneity/homogeneity in the matrix. Raman spectroscopy was used to study the degree of crystallinity of CaF2. Effects on the photoluminescence spectra were studied as a function of the thermal treatment of CaF2 samples.