Red, Green, and Blue Light Through Cooperative Up-Conversion in Sol-Gel Thin Films Made With Yb0.80La0.15Tb0.05F3 and Yb0.80La0.15Eu0.05F3 Nanoparticles

Silica and zirconium dioxide sol-gel thin films made with Yb_0.80La_0.15Tb_0.05F₃ or Yb _0.80La_0.15Eu_0.05F₃ nanoparticles are reported. Bright blue (413 and 435 nm), green (545 nm), and red (585 and 625 nm) emissions are produced from Tb³⁺ ions through cooperative up-conversion of 980 nm light. Similarly, red (591 and 612 nm) emission is generated from Eu³⁺ ions. These up-convertors may find use in white light sources. The cooperative up-conversion of Yb³⁺-Tb³⁺ ions is more efficient than of Yb³⁺-Eu³⁺ ions because the efficiency of energy transfer from excited Yb³⁺ ions to a Tb ³⁺ ion (0.37) is more than two-times higher than of excited Yb³⁺ ions to a Eu³⁺ ion (0.15), as estimated from the lifetime of excited Yb³⁺ ion. The estimated quantum yields of both Tb³⁺ ion and Eu³⁺ ion emissions are on the order of 40%, and hence are not the cause of the difference in efficiency. This approach does not work for Sm³⁺, Pr³⁺ , and Dy³⁺. Incorporation of the respective Ln³⁺ ions in nanoparticles is crucial, as controls, in which the various Ln³⁺ ions are incorporated directly into the sol-gel, that do not show cooperative up-conversion