Quenching Pathways in NaYF₄:Er³⁺,Yb³⁺ Upconversion Nanocrystals.

ABSTRACT: Lanthanide-doped upconversion (UC) phosphors absorb low-energy infrared light and convert it into higher-energy visible light. Despite over 10 years of development, it has not been possible to synthesize nanocrystals (NCs) with UC efficiencies on a par with what can be achieved in bulk materials. To guide the design and realization of more efficient UC NCs, a better understanding is necessary of the loss pathways competing with UC. Here we study the excited-state dynamics of the workhorse UC material β-NaYF₄ co-doped with Yb³⁺ and Er³⁺. For each of the energy levels involved in infrared-to-visible UC, we measure and model the competition between spontaneous emission, energy transfer between lanthanide ions, and other decay processes. An important quenching

SUBMITTER: Rabouw FT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5968434 | biostudies-literature | 2018 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature