Growth and spectroscopy of lanthanide doped Y2SiO5 microcrystals for quantum information processing

Lanthanide-doped Y2SiO5 microcrystals were prepared using the solution combustion, solid state and sol–gel synthesis techniques. Of these, the sol–gel method yields the most reliable and high-quality X2 phase Y2SiO5 microcrystals. Absorption and laser site-selective fluorescence measurements of Nd3+, Eu3+ and Er3+ doped material, performed at cryogenic temperatures, indicate that the as-grown microcrystals are of high optical quality with inhomogeneously broadened optical linewidths that are comparable to bulk crystals at similar dopant concentrations. •Spectroscopy of Y2SiO5 microcrystals doped with Eu3+, Nd3+ and Er3+ is presented.•Y2SiO5 Microcrystals grown by sol–gel methods are shown to produce the highest phase purity.•Y2SiO5 Microcrystals doped with Er3+ show inhomogeneous linewidths as low as 12 GHz.