Characterization of luminous-cubic boron-nitride single-crystals doped with Eu3+ and Tb3+ ions

Abstract

Incorporation of Eu3+ and Tb3+ ions into single crystals of cubic boron nitride (c-BN) has been performed by mixing these fluorides into a solvent for crystal growth of c-BN under high pressure. This method consequently brings luminous features into c-BN. The doped c-BN single crystals show no discernible structural changes in their matrices, while their elements are incorporated into the whole of crystals in atomic scale. Photoluminescence spectra of c-BN:Eu and c-BN:Tb exhibit the intra- 4f electron transitions of Eu3+ and Tb3+ ions, starting from their excitation levels, D05 and D45, respectively. © 2005 American Institute of Physics.