Pure red upconverted and near‐infrared luminescence properties of Er3+‐doped SnO2 nanocrystals for lighting applications

Tin oxide (SnO2 ) nanocrystalline powders doped with erbium ion (Er3+ ) in different molar ratios (0, 3, 5, and 7 mol%) were prepared using a solid-state reaction technique. These samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), ultraviolet-visible absorption, visible upconversion, and near-infrared luminescence techniques. XRD analysis revealed the tetragonal rutile structure of SnO2 and the average crystallite size was about 32 nm. From Tauc's plots, it was confirmed that the substitution of Er3+ ions into the SnO2 host lattice resulted in the narrowing its band gap. Optical absorption bands at 520 and 654 nm correspond to the 4f electron transitions of Er3+ further confirming visible light absorption. Infrared luminescence spectra showed a broad band centred at 1536 nm which is assigned to the 4 I13/2 → 4 I15/2 transition of Er3+ . Visible upconverted emission spectra under 980 nm excitation exhibit a strong red luminescence with a main peak at 672 nm which is attributed to the 4 F9/2 → 4 I15/2 transition of Er3+ . Power-dependent upconversion spectra confirmed that two photons participated in the upconversion mechanism. Enhancement in the intensities of both visible and infrared luminescence was observed when raising the concentration. The results pave the way for the potential applications of these nanocrystalline powders in energy harvesting applications such as infrared light upconverting layer in solar cells, light emitting diodes, infrared broadband sources and amplifiers, and biological labelling.