Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Controlling Er-Tm interaction in Er and Tm codoped silicon-rich silicon oxide using nanometer-scale spatial separation for efficient, broadband infrared luminescence

Journal Article · · Applied Physics Letters
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1812578· OSTI ID:20634391
;  [1]
  1. Department of Physics, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 373-1 Guseong-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejon (Korea, Republic of)
The effect of nanometer-scale spatial separation between Er{sup 3+} and Tm{sup 3+} ions in Er and Tm codoped silicon-rich silicon oxide (SRSO) films is investigated. Er and Tm codoped SRSO films, which consist of nanocluster Si (nc-Si) embedded inside SiO{sub 2} matrix, were fabricated with electron cyclotron resonance-plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition of SiH{sub 4} and O{sub 2} with concurrent sputtering of Er and Tm metal targets. Spatial separation between Er{sup 3+} and Tm{sup 3+} ions was achieved by depositing alternating layers of Er- and Tm-doped layers of varying thickness while keeping the total film thickness the same. The films display broadband infrared photoluminescence (PL) from 1.5 to 2.0 {mu}m under a single source excitation due to simultaneous excitation of Er{sup 3+} and Tm{sup 3+} ions by nc-Si. Increasing the layer thickness from 0 to 72 nm increases the Er{sup 3+} PL intensity nearly 50-fold while the Tm{sup 3+} PL intensity is unaffected. The data are well-explained by a model assuming a dipole-dipole interaction between excited Er{sup 3+} and Tm{sup 3+} ions, and suggest that by nanoscale engineering, efficient, ultrabroadband infrared luminescence can be obtained in an optically homogeneous material using a single light source.
OSTI ID:
20634391
Journal Information:
Applied Physics Letters, Journal Name: Applied Physics Letters Journal Issue: 18 Vol. 85; ISSN APPLAB; ISSN 0003-6951
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English