Efficient Bi3+ → Nd3+ energy transfer in Gd2O3:Bi3+,Nd3+

Bi3+,Nd3+ co-doped Gd2O3 were prepared by solid state reaction and the optical properties were investigated. The results show that the near-infrared emission of Nd3+ ions is significantly enhanced by the introducing of Bi3+ in co-doped samples. An efficient energy transfer from Bi3+ to Nd3+ corresponds to the near-infrared emission enhancement. The energy transfer efficiency reaches 64.1% for the sample with the strongest near-infrared emission, which has the optimized doping concentrations of 0.5% for Bi3+ and 2% for Nd3+. The interesting optical properties make Bi3+,Nd3+ co-doped Gd2O3 promising as the luminescent down-conversion layers in front of c-Si solar cells to enhance the performance of the solar cells.

► Efficient Bi3+ → Nd3+ energy transfer is reported for the first time.
► Gd2O3:Bi3+,Nd3+ efficiently absorb UV light and give intense near infrared emission.
► It has a great potential for application in enhancing efficiency of Si solar cells.