Luminescence studies of Nd3+- and Yb3+-doped α-Y(IO3)3 and β-Y(IO3)3, transparent host matrix in the mid- and beginning of the far-infrared

α-Y(IO3)3 and β-Y(IO3)3 are transparent until 12.8 and 13.4 μm, respectively; thus they are interesting as a potential laser matrix in the mid- and beginning of the far-infrared. So, in order to investigate the properties of lanthanides- doped anhydrous yttrium iodate, polycrystalline samples of α-Y1−xNdx(IO3)3 (0.01⩽x⩽0.05), β-Y1−xNdx(IO3)3 (0.001⩽x⩽0.1), α-Y1−xYbx(IO3)3 (0.01⩽x⩽0.33) and β-Y1−xYbx(IO3)3 (0.01⩽x⩽0.25) were synthesized. For Nd3+ ions, fluorescent emissions from the 4F3/2 multiplet were observed at 300 K under pulsed laser excitations at 750 nm and for Yb3+, fluorescent emissions from the 2F5/2 multiplet were observed at 300 K under pulsed laser excitations at 980 nm. The decays of all these emissions were measured. They are exponential and the fluorescence lifetimes are in the range 0.093–0.193 ms for Nd3+ and 0.370–0.541 ms for Yb3+, depending on the nature of the host and the concentration of doping.