Erbium

Erbium is a chemical element with the symbol Er and atomic number 68. A silvery-white solid metal when artificially isolated, natural erbium is always found in chemical combination with other elements. It is a lanthanide, a rare earth element, originally found in the gadolinite mine in Ytterby in Sweden, from which it got its name.

Properties

Erbium's principal uses involve its pink-colored Er³⁺ ions, which have optical fluorescent properties particularly useful in certain laser applications. Erbium-doped glasses or crystals can be used as optical amplification media, where Er³⁺ ions are optically pumped at around 980 or 1480 nm and then radiate light at 1530 nm in stimulated emission. This process results in an unusually mechanically simple laser optical amplifier for signals transmitted by fiber optics.

Applications

Erbium's everyday uses are varied. It is commonly used as a photographic filter, and because of its resilience it is useful in the manufacture of a variety of industrial and consumer products such as sunglasses, jewelry, and even in the medical field for dermatological procedures.

Health Effects

In its natural state, erbium is safe to handle and has not been found to have any adverse effects on human health. However, erbium salts can be toxic if ingested and can cause skin and eye irritation.

See Also

• Lanthanides
• Rare earth elements
• Gadolinite
• Ytterby

References

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Erbium

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