Influence of Cr3+ on yellowish‐green UC emission and energy transfer of Er3+/Cr3+/Yb3+ tri‐doped zinc silicate glasses

Abstract

AbstractIn this paper, we study the influence of Cr3+ on yellowish‐green upconversion (UC) emission and the energy transfer (ET) of Er3+/Cr3+/Yb3+ tri‐doped in SiO2–ZnO–Na2O–La2O3 (SZNL) zinc silicate glasses under excitation of the 980 nm laser diode (LD). The influence of Cr3+ on enhancing the red UC emission of Er3+/Cr3+/Yb3+ tri‐doped in SiO2–ZnO–Na2O–La2O3 zinc silicate glasses under the excitation of 980nm LD was also investigated. The ET processes between Yb3+, Cr3+, and Er3+, together with the combination of Yb3+‐Cr3+‐Er3+, which led to the green UC emission intensity of Er3+/Cr3+/Yb3+ tri‐doped in SiO2–ZnO–Na2O–La2O3 zinc silicate glasses bands centered at ~546 nm have been significantly enhanced. By increasing the concentration of Cr3+ from 0 up to 5 mol.%, we can locate the Commission Internationale de l'éclairage (CIE) 1931 (x; y) chromaticity coordinates for UC emissions of Er3+/Cr3+/Yb3+ tri‐doped in the central position of the yellowish‐green color region of CIE 1931 chromaticity diagram. Besides, the ET processes between the Yb3+, Cr3+, and Er3+ are also proposed and discussed.