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Modification of the Near‐Infrared Spontaneous Emission in Er 3+ ‐Activated Inverse Silica Opals
Author(s) -
Chiappini Andrea,
Armellini Cristina,
Bazzanella Nicola,
Nodehi Somayeh,
Lukowiak Anna,
Pietralunga Silvia Maria,
Piccolo Valentina,
Zonta Daniele,
Nunzi Conti Gualtiero,
Righini Giancarlo C.,
Ferrari Maurizio
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
physica status solidi (b)
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.51
H-Index - 109
eISSN - 1521-3951
pISSN - 0370-1972
DOI - 10.1002/pssb.201900476
Subject(s) - inverse , materials science , luminescence , infrared , ion , fluorescence , spontaneous emission , optics , quenching (fluorescence) , refractive index , crystal (programming language) , scanning electron microscope , analytical chemistry (journal) , optoelectronics , molecular physics , chemistry , laser , physics , geometry , mathematics , organic chemistry , chromatography , computer science , composite material , programming language
Ordered SiO 2 :Er 3+ inverse opal films are fabricated by sol–gel technique in combination with a self‐assembly method to examine their potential as a suitable platform to tailor the spontaneous emission lifetime of Er 3+ ions and its concentration quenching (CQ). Good ordering on long‐range scale is evidenced by means of scanning electron microscopy, whereas reflectance measurements display a green bright color, as it results from optical Bragg diffraction from the (111) crystal planes. Moreover, it is observed that the spontaneous decay rates (SDRs) of the inverse opals are suppressed, in contrast to the corresponding reference samples, due to the modulation of the effective refractive index ( n eff ), in agreement with the virtual cavity model. At the same time, the reduced CQ of Er 3+ is attributed to the periodic empty cavity of the inverse opals. These results demonstrate that inverse opals can provide a tool for the enhancement of near‐infrared (NIR) luminescence.