Laser-induced luminescence of rare-earth elements in natural zircon

Natural and synthetic zircons are investigated by time-resolved and high-resolution laser-induced luminescence to detect and ascribe various luminescence lines to a variety of rare-earth elements (REE). The selectivity of detection is possible by using different time delays after excitation, different gate widths and different excitation wavenumbers. This allowed us to detect REE in samples where they are hidden by intrinsic luminescence and are not visible in the steady-state luminescence spectra. Luminescence of Eu³⁺, Tb^3-, Er³⁺, Ho³⁺, Pr³⁺, Tm³⁺ and Ce³⁺ is detected even at low concentration of REE and in the presence of Dy³⁺, Sm³⁺ and Gd³⁺.