| Abstract Scope |
Rare-earth-ions (RE3+) are widely used in optics and photonics, due to the peculiar spectral properties of the 4f orbitals. However, REs are expensive and their supply is critical. Moreover, the small absorption cross section and the narrow absorption bands put serious limitations to their exploitation. To overcome these limits, we report the use of Ag nanoaggregates as broadband optical sensitizers, widening the absorption spectrum and boosting the excitation efficiency. Our choice is focused on sol-gel deposition, which allows versatility and high optical quality of the films. RE3+-doped silica-soda and silica-zirconia-soda samples followed by Na+↔Ag+ ion exchange can boost the PL emission of several RE3+ ions (Eu, Sm, Pr, Dy, Tb, Er, Yb, Ho).
Applications to energy conversion by Tb3+/Yb3+ quantum cutting for silicon solar cells and UV-pumped phosphor-converted light emitting diodes (LEDs) in the visible and NIR spectral region are discussed towards efficient and sustainable energy conversion and lighting. |