Investigating the Mechanism of Rare-Earth Ion Incorporation into Glass–Ceramic Crystal Phases through Er3+ Ion Probe Characteristics

Abstract

Exploring the intrinsic mechanisms of rare-earth ions entering the crystal phase has great significance for finely tuning the luminescent properties of glass–ceramics. Using Er3+ ions as a probe, X-ray diffraction was employed to precisely measure the crystallinity of SiO2-PbF2-Er2O3 glass–ceramics synthesized under various heat treatment conditions, confirming the occurrence of a rapid crystallization process. Additionally, by combining Judd–Ofelt theory with comprehensive analyses of absorption and fluorescence spectra, we calculated the relative proportions of Er3+ ions present in the crystal phase. We found that the crystallization process in the glass–ceramics and the incorporation of Er3+ ions into the crystal phase did not occur synchronously. This discovery provides new theoretical foundations and practical guidance for understanding the mechanism of rare-earth ion incorporation into crystal phases, which is significant for the development of functional materials with specific luminescent properties.