Enhancement of light extraction in Y3Al5O12:Tb3+ thin films through nanopatterning

Abstract Light extraction is a key parameter to improve the performances of optical devices. Nanopatterned Y3Al5O12:Tb3+ luminescent coatings usable in such devices have been elaborated and have shown enhanced emission efficiency compared to their unpatterned counterparts. These nanostructured films were obtained by using the colloidal lithography combined with the Langmuir-Blodgett technique. It is the first time to our knowledge that this patterning technique is directly applied on YAG matrix. Resulting nanostructuring is a hexagonal network capable of modifying the light travelling path within the substrate. Conventional and angular-resolved photoluminescence were investigated on both unpatterned and patterned samples. Due to the nanostructuring, the extraction efficiency is improved by 26 % and 131 % depending on the crystallinity of the sample. Noticeably, nanostructuring is found to have an influence on the angular distribution of photoluminescence whose intensity has been evaluated to its maximum normal to the film surface.