Temperature behavior of Ce3+ emission in (Lu,Y)2SiO5 single crystals excited by vacuum ultraviolet synchrotron light

Cerium doped (Lu,Y)2SiO5 (or LYSO) single crystals have been studied by means of luminescence excitation spectroscopy in the temperature range from 7 up to 300 K. Vacuum ultraviolet excitations in 4.5–8 eV energy range from synchrotron radiation of 1.5 GeV storage ring of MAX IV synchrotron facility. It is shown that both type of Ce3+ emission centers (seven and six coordinated centers) are excited under any excitation energy used. It was concluded that the same energy transfer processes from host lattice to impurity ions are involved independently on coordination of Ce3+. It is also demonstrated that excitonic mechanism of energy transfer is dominant under chosen excitation and intrinsic and bound excitons are included in excitation of Ce3+ luminescence in LYSO. [Display omitted] •The cerium doped LYSO single crystals have been studied by means of excitation luminescence spectroscopy.•Temperature dependencies od luminescence properties have been obtained.•Excitonic mechanism of energy transfer to Ce3+ center has been demonstrated.