LAUSR

Abstract We employed the simple overlap model (SOM) with the method of equivalent nearest neighbours (MENN) to indicate the local symmetry of the Eu3+ in the europium trifluoride (EuF3) compound through two analyses based on the emission spectra. In first situation, three lines were observed at the 5D0 → 7F1 (0-1) transition. Therefore, based on the amount of non-null crystal field parameters, we indicate that the Eu ion occupies a site with distorted inversion centre as a combination of C2 and C2h symmetries, with the following charge factors: g1 = 0.438, g2 = 0.292, g3 = 0.411, g4 = 0.201, g5 = 0.396 and g6 = 0.293. In second situation, with two lines at the 0-1 transition, we suggested the luminescent site as a combination of the D3d and D3h symmetries with g1 = 0.279 and g2 = 0.495. The 7F1 manifold splitting was obtained through Auzel-Malta equation. All theoretical calculations reproduced satisfactorily the 7F1, 7F2 and 5D1 energy sublevels in good agreement with experimentals data.