Luminescence Enhancement in Eu(III)-Doped Tellurite Glass Embedded Silver Nanoparticles

Introduction of the metallic nanoparticles (NPs) in the bulk glass received a large interest due to their versatile applications. The effect of silver NPs on optical properties of the Eu3+-doped zinc tellurite glasses is presented for the first time. Glass samples are prepared by melt-quenching technique. The surface plasmon absorption bands of silver NPs are recorded in the visible region. The enhancements in the order of 2.2-2.4 times are observed in the luminescence of the Eu3+ ions by introduction of silver NPs up to 1 mol% and are attributed to contribution of the NPs with average size of about 8 nm. In addition, energy transfer from surface of the metal to the rare earth ion is discussed as the second channel for the enhancement. This report highlights the excellent performance of tellurite glasses for applications such as LEDs, color displays and nanophotonics.