Surface enhanced Raman scattering and plasmon enhanced fluorescence in zinc-tellurite glass

Abstract

We report significant enhancements in Er(3+) luminescence as well as in Raman intensity in silver nanoparticles embedded zinc-tellurite glass. Surface enhanced Raman scattering effect is highlighted for the first time in tellurite glass containing silver NPs resulting in an enhanced Raman signal (~10 times). SAED manifest the growth of Ag(0) nanoparticles along the (111) and (200) crystallographic planes having average diameter in the range 14-36 nm. Surface plasmon resonance bands are observed in the range 484-551 nm. Furthermore, four prominent photoluminescence bands undergo significant enhancements up to 3 times. The enhancement is majorly attributed to the local field effect of silver NPs.

Spectroscopic investigation and Judd–Ofelt analysis of silver nanoparticles embedded Er3+-doped tellurite glass

“…As a result, a very intense and localized electric field is generated around the metallic nanoparticles (NPs) [4]. The luminescence intensity of rare-earth (RE) ions can be enhanced due to local field enhancement when RE ions lie in proximity of such nanostructures [5,6]. This mechanism is known as metal enhanced luminescence (MEL) which is a powerful tool in biotechnology as well as in the novel field of nanophotonics [7].…”

Efficient optical enhancement of Er3+ doped lead–tellurite glass embedded with gold nanoparticles: role of heat-treatment

“…Peak intensities of all the bands are found to be significantly enhanced. This enhancement is primarily ascribed to the presence of a colossal localized electric field generated by SPR of GNPs in the vicinity of Er 3+ ions [37,38]. The difference between the relative permittivity of the surrounding host matrix and the gold NPs played a considerable role in the creation of such electric field [4].…”

The 1.85 μm spectroscopic properties of Er 3+ /Tm 3+ co-doped tellurite glasses containing silver nanoparticles

“…Therefore, in our prepared tellurite glass with large refractive index of ~2.0, the LSPR band should red-shift to the longer wavelength position [38,43] which will cause the overlapping with the strong absorptions of doped rare-earth ions in the visible region and thus obscure the absorption of LSPR band.…”

“…Thus, the Ag NPs improves the photon density around the doped Tm 3+(Er 3+ ) ions in the vicinity of Ag NPs and then increases the number of photons captured by Tm 3+(Er 3+ ) ions, which enhances the population of the excited state levels of Tm 3+ (Er 3+ ) ions and subsequently the radiative transition rate. However, in the ETA3 glass sample with large amount of 2.0 mol% AgNO 3 , a decrease or quench of 1.85 µm band fluorescence occurs, which can be attributed to the back-energy transfer from excited states of Tm 3+ (Er 3+ ) ions to the surface of Ag NPs[43,55]. With the increase of AgNO 3 content, more Ag NPs will be formed in the glass matrix due to the introduction of a larger Ag + ions, which reduces the distance between Tm 3+ (Er 3+ ) ions and Ag NPs.…”