805 nm Mediated Upconversion Luminescence Properties of Yb3Ga5O12:Ln (Er3+/Nd3+) Nanoparticles

This paper presents the near infrared and visible upconversion of Yb3Ga5O12 garnet samples. The samples were doped with two different dopants (either Er3+ or Nd3+) and excited with 805 nm. Intense infrared emission was observed with the Nd3+ doped sample and relatively weak visible blue-green and red emissions were observed for both the Er3+ and Nd3+ doped samples. The infrared emission intensities for the Nd3+ doped sample was found to increase with the increase in the Nd3+ ion concentration while that of the Er3+ ion decreases with the increasing Er3+ ion concentration. Also, to ascertain the back energy transfer from the Yb3+ ion to Nd3+, the samples were excited with a 980 nm source. No visible or infrared emission was observed for the Nd3+ doped sample indicating the absence of the back energy transfer. The luminescence properties of the sample signifies its readiness for application in biological imaging and laser generators.