Energy Transfer Studies in Tb3+-Yb3+ Co-Doped Phosphate Glasses

Abstract

Detailed optical properties of Tb3+-Yb3+ co-doped phosphate glasses were performed based on their emission spectra and decay measurements. Under blue excitation of Tb3+ at 488 nm, the intensity of Yb3+ emissions gradually enhanced upon increasing the Yb3+ content until 1 mol% indicated an energy transfer from Tb3+ to Yb3+. Otherwise, under near infrared excitation of Yb3+ at 980 nm, these glasses exhibit intense green luminescence, which led to cooperative sensitization of the 5D4 level of Tb3+ ions. A cooperative energy transfer mechanism was proposed on the basis of the study on the influence of Yb3+ concentration on up-conversion emission intensity, as well as the dependence of this up-conversion intensity on near infrared excitation power. Moreover, the temporal evolution of the up-conversion emissions have been studied, which was in positive agreement with a theoretical model of cooperative up-conversion luminescence that showed a temporal emission curve with rise and decay times of the involved levels.