Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 February 2011
The factors limiting the efficiency of Er3+ luminescence at 1.54 μm (0.8 eV) in erbiumdoped barium titanate films were studied. To investigate the effect of film stoichiometry on luminescence efficiency films were annealed in oxygen and in vacuum. For films annealed in oxygen at temperatures of 700–900°C a nominal increase in the luminescence efficiency was observed. Vacuum annealing resulted in strong quenching of the emission intensity. Transient photoluminesence measurements showed that the emission lifetime also decreased for the reduced films. This effect was reversible; upon oxygen annealing both the emission intensity and lifetime were restored to their original values. These results indicate that the Er3+ luminescence efficiency strongly depends on film stoichiometry.