Si nanoparticle–Er3+ coupling through contact in as-deposited nanostructured films

The efficient excitation of Er3+ ions through contact with Si nanoparticles (NPs) is demonstrated. A nanostructured doping process has been developed that leads to contact between Si NPs formed in situ and optically-active Er3+ ions embedded in Al2O3. This is achieved by independent and consecutive...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Applied physics letters 2011-04, Vol.98 (15)
Main Authors: Núñez-Sánchez, S., Roque, P. M., Serna, R., Petford-Long, A. K.
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:The efficient excitation of Er3+ ions through contact with Si nanoparticles (NPs) is demonstrated. A nanostructured doping process has been developed that leads to contact between Si NPs formed in situ and optically-active Er3+ ions embedded in Al2O3. This is achieved by independent and consecutive deposition of the dopants and matrix. The Si NP–Er3+ contact regime enhances the probability of efficient interaction due to the local spatial overlap of the electronic states of the Er3+ and of the Si NP exciton, enabling energy transfer by interband exciton recombination. This leads to up to 53% of the Er3+ ions being excited in as-deposited films.
ISSN:0003-6951
1077-3118
DOI:10.1063/1.3579523