2 μm mid-infrared optical spectra of Tm3+-doped germanium gallate glasses

Glasses with the composition of 65GeO212Ga2O3-10BaO-8Li2O-5La2O3(molar ratio) doped with 1.526 wt.%, 3.006 wt.%, 5.836 wt.%, 11.028 wt.%, and 15.678 wt.% Tm2O3, respectively, were fabricated by conventional melting method. According to the absorption spectra and the Judd-Ofelt theory, the J-O strength parameters (Ω2,Ω4, Ω6) were calculated, with which the radiative transition probabilities,branching ratios and radiative lifetimes were obtained. The infrared emission spectra (with 808 nm LD excitation) at～1.47 and～1.8 μm of various concentrations of Tm3+-doped glasses were studied. The emission intensity at～1.8 μm reached to the maximum when the Tm2O3-doping concentration was near to be～3.006 wt.% (1.0 mol.%), and then decreased as doping concentration increased further. The mechanism of the fluorescence intensity change was explained with the cross-relaxation effect and the concentration quenching effect of Tm3+. Meanwhile, according to McCumber theory, the absorption and emission cross-sections corresponding to the 3F4→3H6 transitions of Tm3+ at 1.8 μm was obtained. For Tm3+-doped germanate glasses, the maximum emission cross-section reached a value higher than that re-ported for fluorozircoaluminate glasses. It is expected to be a favorable candidate host for～2.0 μm mid-inflated laser because the glass shows favorable optical spectra.     

Investigation on luminescence properties of Ln^3＋ doped Sr3EuMgSi2O8 （Ln=Dy, Er, Ho）

The luminescent properties of Sr2.97MgSi2O8:Eu2+0.01 phosphors were investigated with different Ln3+0.02(Ln3+:Dy3+,Er3+,Ho3+) co-dopants. The co-dopants had no influence on both the structure of the lattice and the position of the emission peak. However, the afterglow properties of samples were enhanced with different co-dopants. The afterglow duration of the Dy3+ co-doped sample was longer than that of the others. Furthermore, the co-doping samples had stronger thermoluminescence (TL) intensity and therefore longer afterglow duration. At last, the self-reduction of Eu3+→Eu2+ was observed in an silicate compound of Sr3-xMgSi2O8:xEu phosphor in air condition. This is the first time to show a blue long afterglow phosphor synthesized avoiding reducing atmosphere.     

Structural and optical studies of Yb^3＋, Er^3＋ and Er^3＋/Yb^3＋ co-doped phosphate glasses

Phosphate glass samples with various Yb2O3 and Er2O3 contents were synthesized by the conventional melt quenching technique and characterized by X-ray diffraction,IR absorption spectroscopy and Raman scattering spectroscopy.The absorption,emission spectra and fluorescence decay studies were carried out both at low and room temperatures.Results showed the existence of several sites occupied by the rare earth ions in the phosphate glass.Up-conversion and cooperative fluorescence were also discussed.     

Enhancement of 1.54 μm emission in Er：LiNbO_3 crystal by codoping with Zn~（2＋） ions

The enhanced intensity and lengthened lifetime of 1.54 μm emission were observed for Er:LiNbO3 crystal codoped with Zn2+ ions.The ZnO codoping led to the reduction of the green upconversion emission in Er:LiNbO3 crystals.The decay trace of the 4S3/2→4I15/2 was ob-viously nonexponential for Er:LiNbO3 codoped with 0 and 3 mol.% ZnO,but became exponential for one codoped with 6 mol.% ZnO.The OH-absorption spectra showed after codoping with Zn2+ ions,the OH-absorption peaking position shifted from ~3495 to 3484 cm-1,and the absorption cross section decreased.These spectroscopic characteristics suggested that the improvement of 1.54 μm emission was attributed to the reduction of Er3+ cluster sites.     

Up-conversion luminescence of Er~（3＋）-doped and Yb~（3＋）/Er~（3＋） co-doped 12CaO·7Al_2O_3 poly-crystals

The optical properties of Er3+-doped and Yb3+/Er3+ co-doped 12CaO·7Al2O3 (C12A7) poly-crystals, synthesized by high temperature solid state method, were investigated in detail. For Er3+-doped and Yb3+/Er3+ co-doped C12A7 poly-crystals, two main emission bands centered around 530/550 nm (green) and 660 nm (red) were observed under 980 nm diode laser excitation via an up-conversion process. The intensity of green up-conversion emission had a strong increase in Er3+ (1.0 mol.%, 1.5 mol.%, 3.0 mol.%), and the intensity ratio of red to green up-conversion emission had an increase in Yb3+ (1.0 mol.%, 2.0 mol.%, 10. 0 mol.%)/Er3+ (fixed at 1.0 mol.%). This detailed study of the up-conversion processes allowed us to identify the dominant up-conversion mechanisms in Er3+-doped and Yb3+/Er3+ co-doped C12A7 poly-crystals.     

Preparation and upconversion luminescence of monodisperse Gd2O3：Ho^3＋,Yb^3＋ nanocrystals

Gd2O3:Ho3+,Yb3+ nanocrystals were synthesized via solvothermal method.X-ray diffraction(XRD),transmission electron microscopy(TEM),absorption and upconversion spectra were employed to characterize the synthesized nanocrystals.The results of XRD and TEM showed that obtained Gd2O3:Ho3+,Yb3+ nanocrystals were cubic in crystal structure and uniform spherical in morphology.The average crystallite size was calculated to be 7.5 nm.Green and red up-conversion emissions corresponding to(5F4,5S2)→5I8 and 5F5 → 5I8 transition were observed upon 980 nm excitation at room temperature.The results indicated that both green and red luminescence were based on the two-photon processes.Laser power and doping concentration dependence of the upconverted emissions were studied to understand the upconversion mechanisms.Excited state absorption and energy-transfer processes were discussed as the possible mechanisms for the visible emissions.     

Improvement of conversion efficiency of silicon solar cells using up-conversion molybdate La_2Mo_2O_9：Yb,R （R=Er, Ho） phosphors

The goal of this work was aimed to improve the power conversion efficiency of single crystalline silicon-based photovoltaic cells by using the solar spectral conversion principle, which employs an up-conversion phosphor to convert a low energy infrared photon to the more energetic visible photons to improve the spectral response. In this study, the surface of multicrystalline silicon solar cells was coated with an up-conversion molybdate phosphor to improve the spectral response of the solar cell in the near-infrared spectral range. The short circuit current (Isc), open circuit voltage (Voc), and conversion efficiency (η) of spectral conversion cells were measured. Preliminary experimental results revealed that the light conversion efficiency of a 1.5%-2.7% increase in Si-based cell was achieved.     

Effect of RO （R=Ca, Sr, Ba, Zn or Pb） component on spectroscopic properties of Eu3＋ in RO-B2O3 glasses

Eu3+-doped binary borate glasses with different metal oxide components RO (R=Ca, Sr, Ba, Zn or Pb) were prepared by meltquenching technique. The fluorescent spectral properties of Eu3+in these glasses were experimentally studied. The analysis on the phonon sidebands (PSBs) indicated that RO component did not cause obvious change of the electron-phonon coupling constant (EPC). By inspecting the optical absorption edges it was found that RO could greatly affect the band gap energy, and the glass with PbO component revealed the smallest band gap energy, the glasses with ZnO, BaO and SrO showed similar band gap energy. The optical transition intensity parameters of Eu3+in all studied glasses were calculated, it was found that for each sample its value of2 was larger than that of 4 and 6, and the sample with PbO component exhibited the smallest2, but the λ values for ZBE, CBE, BBE and SBE were very similar. These results might be helpful for the design of borate glasses.