Lu2O3
Lutetium oxide · Lutetia
Lutetium oxide is a stable, wide-gap insulating ceramic used extensively in high-performance optical and dielectric technologies.
About Lutetium oxide
Lutetium oxide is a thermodynamically stable ceramic material composed of lutetium and oxygen. As a wide-gap insulator, it exhibits excellent chemical and thermal robustness, making it a reliable candidate for demanding environments where electronic and optical integrity are paramount.
This compound is highly valued for its high density and refractive index, which are critical for specialized optical components. Its stability on the convex hull ensures it remains a robust choice for thin-film applications and as a precursor in the synthesis of complex functional ceramics.
Key Properties
Cross-validated computational properties for Lutetium oxide, aggregated across 5 databases.
Band GapEnergy needed to move an electron from the valence band to the conduction band. Lower or zero values tend to behave more metallic; larger gaps are more insulating or semiconducting.
Energy Above HullThermodynamic distance from the most stable set of competing phases. 0 eV/atom is on the convex hull; small positive values may still be experimentally accessible.
StabilityA plain-language summary of the best reported energy-above-hull result. It reflects whether the lowest-energy structure is on, near, or far from the stability hull.
StructuresCount of reported calculated crystal structures for this formula, including alternate polymorphs, source databases, and observed space groups.
Cross-Source DFT Agreement
How well independent DFT databases agree on the thermodynamics of Lu2O3. Tight agreement means computed properties can be trusted without re-running calculations.
Agreement ScoreA normalized confidence score summarizing how closely independent DFT databases agree. Higher scores mean tighter cross-source agreement.
Hull SpreadDifference between the highest and lowest energy-above-hull values reported by comparable sources. Smaller spread means less thermodynamic disagreement.
Sources ComparedNumber and names of computational sources with comparable entries for this formula.
Space Group ConsensusWhether independent sources predict the same crystal symmetry for the lowest-energy structure.
Reported Structures
Lowest-energy structures reported for Lu2O3, ranked by energy above hull.
| Space GroupSymmetry classification of the crystal arrangement. The number is the international space-group index. | Crystal SystemBroad lattice family, such as cubic, tetragonal, monoclinic, or triclinic, derived from unit-cell symmetry. | Band Gap (eV)Electronic gap calculated for this specific reported structure, measured in electronvolts. | E above hull (eV/atom)Thermodynamic distance from the convex hull for this structure, normalized per atom. Lower is generally more stable. | E/atom (eV)Computed total energy normalized per atom. Use energy above hull, not this value alone, when comparing stability. | Density (g/cm³)Mass per relaxed crystal volume, reported in grams per cubic centimeter. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ia-3 (No. 206) | cubic | 4.22 | 0.0000 | -3.963 | — |
| — | — | 4.22 | 0.0000 | -3.962 | — |
| Ia-3 (No. 206) | cubic | 4.02 | 0.0000 | -8.901 | 9.78 |
| — | — | 4.32 | 0.0084 | -3.953 | — |
| C2/m (No. 12) | monoclinic | 4.36 | 0.0374 | -3.925 | — |
| C2/m (No. 12) | monoclinic | 4.28 | 0.0468 | -8.854 | 10.58 |
| — | — | 4.81 | 0.0487 | -3.913 | — |
| — | — | 4.81 | 0.0526 | -3.909 | — |
| — | — | 4.46 | 0.0571 | -3.905 | — |
| P-3m1 (No. 164) | trigonal | 4.46 | 0.0735 | -3.889 | — |
| P-3m1 (No. 164) | trigonal | 4.09 | 0.0842 | -8.817 | 10.73 |
| — | — | 4.47 | 0.0938 | -3.868 | — |
Synthesis Routes
Literature-extracted synthesis procedures targeting Lu2O3.
Applications
Where Lutetium oxide is used.
Patent Landscape
2 patents reference Lu2O3 or close compositional variants.
| Patent | Title | Assignee | Granted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10388484 | Carburized La2O3 and Lu2O3 co-doped Mo filament cathode | — | — |
| 9533892 | Flame spray synthesis of monoclinic Lu2O3 nanoparticles | — | — |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Lutetium oxide, answered from cross-validated data.
What is Lu2O3?
Lutetium oxide is a stable, wide-gap insulating ceramic used extensively in high-performance optical and dielectric technologies.
What is Lu2O3 used for?
What is the band gap of Lu2O3?
Is Lu2O3 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
Is Lu2O3 thermodynamically stable?
What is the crystal structure of Lu2O3?
How many polymorphs of Lu2O3 are known?
How is Lu2O3 synthesized?
What elements does Lu2O3 contain?
Where does the data for Lu2O3 come from?
How It Compares
As a rare-earth sesquioxide, this material serves as a foundational example of high-stability insulating oxides. It is widely recognized for its superior structural and electronic properties compared to other lanthanide oxides, often serving as a benchmark for performance in high-temperature and radiation-hardened applications.
Data sources & attribution
- jarvis — Data from JARVIS (jarvis.nist.gov), NIST. Cite: Choudhary et al., npj Comp. Mater. 6, 173 (2020). (LicenseRef-US-Gov-PD)
- oqmd — Data from the OQMD (oqmd.org). Cite: Saal et al., JOM 65, 1501 (2013); Kirklin et al., npj Comp. Mater. 1, 15010 (2015). (CC-BY-4.0)
- materials_project — Data from the Materials Project (materialsproject.org). Cite: Jain et al., APL Materials 1, 011002 (2013). (CC-BY-4.0)
- mpaloe — Data from MP-ALOE. Cite: Kuner et al., npj Comput. Mater. (2025), doi:10.1038/s41524-025-01834-9.
- cod — Data from the Crystallography Open Database (crystallography.net/cod/). Cite: Grazulis et al., J. Appl. Cryst. 42, 726 (2009). (CC0-1.0)
Analyze Lu2O3 in the Lattice Graph platform
Polymorph comparison, confidence scoring, supply-chain risk, and patent monitoring — across 85 source databases.
Explore the Platform →