Erbium-Doped Nanoparticle–Polymer Composite Thin Films for Photonic Applications: Structural and Optical Properties

Abstract

Erbium-doped nanocrystal (NC)-dispersed polymer thin films are attractive core materials for use in optical waveguides as they can provide high optical gain and enable the formation of compact waveguide amplifiers. Nonetheless, there are significant challenges associated with obtaining good dispersibility of NCs into a polymer matrix and favorable optical properties. Therefore, in this paper, we report the fabrication of Er3+-doped ceria (EGC) NCs employing the Leeds alginate process (LAP) and their incorporation into a siloxane polymer matrix. The surface morphology and compositional, structural, and optical properties of the fabricated films are evaluated to assess the NC dispersion and their suitability for the waveguide amplifier. The photoluminescence (PL) and lifetime measurements of the NCs–polymer nanocomposite thin film samples show intense, broadband PL emission of the Er3+ ions at 1534 nm (4I13/2 → 4I15/3 transition) with a full width at half-maximum (fwhm) of ∼64 nm and lifetime in the range of 2.6–3.0 ms. The inhomogeneously broadened PL spectra and improvement in lifetime of NCs in the polymer are important results that we report. The EGC NCs–polymer nanocomposite thin films also exhibit excellent transparency in the NIR wavelength range and a refractive index in the range of 1.53–1.58 in the visible wavelength. The work presented here clearly demonstrates the potential of using high-quality Er-doped nanocomposite polymer thin films for interesting applications such as compact low-cost waveguide amplifiers and lasers.

Influence of lattice strain on Er3+ ions activated magnesium zirconium phosphate phosphors: Morphological, structural, and photoluminescence properties

“…These vibration modes are not found in the undoped MgZr 4 (PO 4 ) 6 . Moreover, the splitting of the Raman vibration band ranging from 760 to 1300 cm − 1 [vibrational peaks at 846, 991, 1079, and 1165 cm − 1 ] can be assigned to Er 3+ ions photoluminescence emission stark levels under 514.5 nm laser excitation [38][39][40][41][42]. The (PO 4 ) 3phonon energy is suppressed by Er 3+ ions photoluminescence peaks due to their domination in photoluminescence intensity.…”

Thin Films of Lanthanide Stearates as Modifiers of the Q-Sense Device Sensor for Studying Insulin Adsorption

“…The use of this protein as a drug is still an extremely common procedure in improving the quality of life for patients with diabetes. The questions of searching for chromatographic methods for specific isolation and determination are still important. − Thin-film materials containing lanthanide atoms, as an example of nanotechnology, are actively used in many fields. − Also, materials containing lanthanide atoms are being actively studied as materials for bioorganic sensors, − including for determining the activity of insulin and analytical applications in the analysis of insulin content in complex systems. ,− Taking into account all of the problems associated with the production and application of such materials for proteomics, the purpose of this work is to demonstrate the possibility of using films containing lanthanide ions for insulin adsorption.…”

A Transparent Nano-Polycrystalline ZnWO4 Thin-Film Scintillator for High-Resolution X-ray Imaging

“…Powder screens and transparent films are typical forms of thin-layer scintillators. Powder-screen-type scintillators are commonly used because various scintillator shapes, such as pixelated and curved, can be fabricated easily using such scintillators. − Powder-screen scintillators are typically nanoparticle scintillators. − For powders with a particle size much larger than the optical wavelength range, however, the powder can significantly scatter the optical light generated by the scintillator, which reduces the spatial resolution of the resulting X-ray image. , However, the use of nanoparticle scintillators with particle sizes smaller than the optical wavelength range reduces the probability of optical light scattering, which increases the spatial resolution. − …”