Size-dependent luminescence kinetics of rare-earth Er3+ ions in Y2O3 nanospheres

Abstract

The luminescence kinetics of Er ions in Y2O3:Er nanospheres with diameters of 75–270 nm has been studied. A pronounced decrease in the luminescence decay times for Er3+ ion transitions in the green-red visible range is observed with increasing diameter up to 270 nm, unlike near-infrared emission at ∼1.5 μm. This finding is attributed to the appearance of photonic modes accelerating spontaneous luminescence, which is confirmed by a model calculation of bound optical states in the studied nanospheres.

Preparation of rare earth-doped nano-fluorescent materials in the second near-infrared region and their application in biological imaging

“…Common oxide substrates include Y 2 O 3 , 49,50 Gd 2 O 3 , 51 ZnO 2 , 52 CeO 2 , 53,54 and YVO 4 . 55 However, the phonon energy of oxide is higher than that of fluoride.…”