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Near-infrared quantum cutting and energy transfer mechanism in Lu2O3: Tm3+/Yb3+ phosphor for high-efficiency photovoltaics

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Abstract

Near-infrared downconversion phenomenon has been demonstrated in Lu2O3: Tm3+/Yb3+ phosphor upon direct excitation of Tm3+:1G4 level at 463 nm. The efficient energy transfer from Tm3+: 1G4 → Yb: 2F5/2 has been elucidated by the excitation spectra, the visible and NIR spectra as well as the decay curves of Tm: 1G4 state. The mechanism of downconversion in Lu2O3:Tm3+/Yb3+ has been discussed in detail. According to analysis of the dependence of the initial transfer rate over Yb3+ ion concentration, it could be included that energy transfer (ET) from Tm3+ to Yb3+ is a single-step ET process instead of a cooperative one. By varying the Yb3+ concentrations, we obtain the Lu2O3: 0.2%Tm3+/30%Yb3+ sample with theoretical quantum efficiency as high as 148.2%. Because the excited state of Yb3+ just above the band edge of crystalline silicon, it suggested that Lu2O3: Tm3+/Yb3+ sample will be beneficial to improve the conversion efficiency of c-Si solar cells.

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Acknowledgements

This work was partially supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2016YFB0701003, 2016YFB0400605), National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 61275055, 11274007, 51402284 and 11604330), Natural Science Foundation of Jilin province (Grant No. 20140101169JC, 20150520022JH and 20160520171JH), and the prior sci-tech program of innovation and entrepreneurship of oversea Chinese talent of Jilin province.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Luminescence and Applications, Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 3888 Eastern South Lake Road, Changchun, 130033, People’s Republic of China

    Wen Liu, Jiahua Zhang, Zhendong Hao, LiangLiang Zhang, Xia Zhang, Guohui Pan, Yongshi Luo, Haifeng Zhao & Huajun Wu

  2. Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100039, People’s Republic of China

    Wen Liu

  3. Department of Mathematics and Physics, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing, 400065, People’s Republic of China

    Guotao Xiang

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  1. Wen Liu
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  2. Jiahua Zhang
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  3. Zhendong Hao
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  4. Guotao Xiang
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  5. LiangLiang Zhang
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  6. Xia Zhang
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  9. Haifeng Zhao
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  10. Huajun Wu
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Correspondence to Jiahua Zhang.

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Liu, W., Zhang, J., Hao, Z. et al. Near-infrared quantum cutting and energy transfer mechanism in Lu2O3: Tm3+/Yb3+ phosphor for high-efficiency photovoltaics. J Mater Sci: Mater Electron 28, 8017–8022 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-017-6506-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-017-6506-5

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