Effect of Silver on Luminescence of Dy3+ doped Sodium-Borophosphate Glass

Abstract

free electrons, this property enable them to react with almost every element, that is why they used in modern technologies. RE ions have excellent spectral and chemical properties. Some rare earth ions convert the wavelength of incident light into shorter wavelength. This is an antistoke process and known as upconversion. In recent era, upconversion (UC) process have been discussed due to their applications in many fields, such as bioimaging, solar cells etc. Although UC is very important but unfortunately it is not an efficient phenomenon which means if many lower energy photons get absorbed in material, only one higher energy photon get emitted. To enhance the UC process, plasmonic nanostructures have been used which may increase the efficiency of upconverting materials. It is investigated that rare earth Silver NPs co-doped in glass material has luminescence effect due to surface Plasmon resonance (SPR). Surface Plasmon resonance (SPR) is collective oscillation of electrons in metal surface due to these oscillations, electric field produced around (NPs). Plasmonic NPs with RE ions, enhance the spectral properties and increase optical transition by intensive electric field. NPs with RE ions has been observed in solution, polymers and glass but glass has been preferred because of easy fabrication, versatility in shapes, transparency and other spectral properties. These desirable characteristics of glass made them applicable in many fields but still upconversion enhancement is big challenge which is being discussed for practical applications. Choosing glass host material is also been discussed, usually Silica based glass materials can be obtained at very high temperature as compared to phosphate and phosphate-based glasses, so it is preferred over Silica glass. Borophosphate glass also nominated as an active host for metal NPs growth and to enhance the electromagnetic field for SERS applications, an active glass is required. The main purpose of making borophosphate glass co doped with RE and Ag NPs is to investigate the SERS effects and obtain stable glass substrate. Glass substrate prepared by melt quenching using raw powder compacted into crucible and heated in electric furnace. Then glass material poured into stainless steel plate at cooled down at room temperature. It has been investigated that glass matrix containing Dy3+ aimed to study the sensitizing effect of metal species to enhance the Luminescence of Dy3+ ion.