Blue and NIR emission from nanostructured Tm3+/Yb3+ co-doped SiO2-Ta2O5 for photonic applications

This paper reports on the synthesis of Tm3+/Yb3+ co-doped SiO2–Ta2O5 nanocomposites prepared by a sol–gel route. XRD analysis revealed initial crystallization of the L-Ta2O5 structure dispersed in the silica host, which depended on lanthanide concentration. Vibrational spectroscopy showed low OH groups content, SiO2–Ta2O5 nanocomposite formation, and controlled phase separation characterized by the presence of Ta2O5 nanoparticles. Emission in the near infrared was evident and also depended on lanthanide concentration and excitation wavelength. Direct excitation on the host promoted NIR luminescence; higher intensity emerged at 980 nm, attributed to Yb3+ ions. Excitation of the Tm3+ excited levels elicited energy transfer between Tm3+ and Yb3+ ions. Excitation of the Tm3+ levels (visible range) and the host (UV) promoted emission in the S telecom band for all the samples. Excitation at 980 nm gave rise to upconversion emissions at 476 nm (blue) and 793 nm (NIR). At higher lanthanide concentration, the presence of a dominant cross-relaxation process reduced the blue emission with respect to the NIR emission. The color coordinates were similar to the coordinates of standard blue. All these luminescent properties make the synthesized materials potential candidates for photonic applications like energy converting devices, solar concentrators, and blue emitters.