Frequency upconversion in a Pr3+ doped chalcogenide glass containing silver nanoparticles

Abstract

We report on orange-to-blue frequency upconversion ͑UC͒ in Pr 3+ doped chalcogenide glass ͑Ga 10 Ge 25 S 65 ͒ doped with Ag 2 S and heat treated under different conditions to nucleate silver nanoparticles ͑NPs͒. The experiments were performed using 7 ns pulses from a dye laser that operates at ϳ590 nm, in resonance with the 3 H 4 → 1 D 2 transition of Pr 3+ ions. The enhancement observed in the UC emission at ϳ494 nm, ascribed as 3 P 0 → 3 H 4 transition of the Pr 3+ ion, is attributed to the large local field acting on the emitting ions due to the presence of the metallic NPs.

Influence of metallic nanoparticles on upconversion processes

“…For larger spheres, the larger spacial extent of the fields and the shift of the dipolar resonance means that sufficiently small nonradiative decay rates and strong enough near fields can be simultaneously obtained. We notice also that a signal enhancement has been achieved for small metallic particles, 27,39 but for a more complex scenario that makes understanding the underlying physics challenging. We discuss in Appendix B how more complicated level schemes than here can result in upconversion enhancement also for small particles.…”

“…In 2007, Verhagen et al 25 showed that upconversion luminescence from Er ions could be used to image surface plasmons. The influence of small metallic nanoparticles on the upconverted signal from an assembly of Er ions has recently been investigated experimentally, 26,27 but no theoretical model was given.…”

Stokes and anti-Stokes luminescence of Er3+ doped Ga10Ge25S65 glass excited at 980 and 532 nm

“…8 Enhanced UC signals from Pr 3+ ions due to the presence of the metallic nanoparticles were observed and their origin was clearly identified.…”

“…6 Another glass composition of interest is Ga 10 Ge 25 S 65 ͑GGS͒ that has wide transparency window from the infrared to the blue/green region and low phonon energy ͑Ϸ370 cm −1 ͒. Recently the optical properties of GGS glass doped with Nd 3+ , 7 Pr 3+ , 8 and Er 3+ ions 9 were investigated. In the case of Nd 3+ doped GGS glass a study of the linear optical characteristics and the infrared-to-visible frequency upconversion ͑UC͒ was reported.…”

Upconversion luminescence in Er3+ doped Ga10Ge25S65 glass and glass-ceramic excited in the near-infrared

“…7 In Pr 3þ -doped GGS glasses, we observed orange-to-blue frequency upconversion (UC) and investigated the influence of silver nanoparticles on the UC efficiency. 8 The UC enhancement observed was attributed to the large local field acting on the Pr 3þ ions due to their proximity with silver nanoparticles. Er 3þ -doped GGS glass was studied under laser excitation at 532 nm, 800 nm, and 980 nm.…”