Aerosol-Gel Deposition of Optically Active Thin Films in the System Y2Ti2O7-Er2Ti2O7

Optically active thin films in the system Y₂Ti₂O₇-Er₂Ti₂O₇ (YETO) have been deposited using the Aerosol-gel process. Depending on the heat-treatment temperature, amorphous or crystalline films could be prepared in the range 600–950°C. The study shows that dilution of erbium ions within a Y₂Ti₂O₇ (YTO) matrix allows to prevent short range distance interactions between those ions and to promote good photoluminescence properties of YETO films. These properties are discussed and compared with those of sol-gel derived silica films doped with erbium.