A new class of glass-ceramic nanocomposite systems with a uniform distribution of SnO2 nanocrystals dispersed within an amorphous silica phase is fabricated in the form of thin films by using sol-gel processing. In this work, experiments with (100-x)SiO2-xSnO2 nanocomposite thin films with (x = 25 and 30 mol%) doped with Er3+ ions (concentrations of 0.5, 1 and 2 mol%) are presented. The focus has been both to determine the effect of rare-earth doping on the growth of SnO2 nanocrystals as well as the distribution of the Er3+ ions within the ceramic structure. Vibrational spectroscopic assessments have proven the glass-ceramic nature of the samples. EXAFS and photoluminescence spectra show that the rare-earth ions exist in both amorphous and crystalline phases. Moreover an energy transfer from SnO2 nanocrystals to erbium ions on excitation at 351 nm is demonstrated.
Erbium-Doped Tin-Silicate Sol-Gel-Derived Glass-Ceramic Thin Films: Effect of Environment Segregation on the Er3+ Emission
F d'Acapito;M Ferrari;
2015
Abstract
A new class of glass-ceramic nanocomposite systems with a uniform distribution of SnO2 nanocrystals dispersed within an amorphous silica phase is fabricated in the form of thin films by using sol-gel processing. In this work, experiments with (100-x)SiO2-xSnO2 nanocomposite thin films with (x = 25 and 30 mol%) doped with Er3+ ions (concentrations of 0.5, 1 and 2 mol%) are presented. The focus has been both to determine the effect of rare-earth doping on the growth of SnO2 nanocrystals as well as the distribution of the Er3+ ions within the ceramic structure. Vibrational spectroscopic assessments have proven the glass-ceramic nature of the samples. EXAFS and photoluminescence spectra show that the rare-earth ions exist in both amorphous and crystalline phases. Moreover an energy transfer from SnO2 nanocrystals to erbium ions on excitation at 351 nm is demonstrated.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
