Fabrication and properties of luminescence polymer composites with erbium/ytterbium oxides and gold nanoparticles

TL;DR

This paper reports the fabrication of luminescent polymer nanocomposites embedded with Er/Yb oxides and gold nanoparticles, demonstrating enhanced luminescence and potential for photonic device applications.

Contribution

It introduces a low-temperature synthesis method for Er/Yb oxides nanoparticles and integrates them into transparent polymer composites with gold nanoparticles for luminescence enhancement.

Findings

Successful fabrication of Er/Yb oxide nanoparticles with defined parameters

Development of transparent, luminescent polymer nanocomposites

Luminescence enhancement due to plasmon effects from gold nanoparticles

Abstract

Rare-earth-doped optical materials are important for light sources in optoelectronics, as well as for efficient optical amplification elements and other elements of photonics. On the basis of the previously developed method of anhydrous, low-temperature synthesis of Er/Yb oxides from their chlorides we fabricated proper nanoparticles with defined parameters and used them for the development of optically transparent, luminescent polymer nanocomposite with low optical scattering, suitable for direct, light-induced formation of photonic elements. Introduction of preformed gold nanoparticles in such a nanocomposite was also performed and an enhancement of luminescence due to the influence of plasmon effects was detected.