Downconversion and upconversion emissions of GdPO4:Yb3+/Tb3+ and its potential applications in solar cells

• Emission bands of GdPO4:Yb3+/Tb3+ in visible an IR regions under UV excitation.
• Energy transfer from Gd3+ to Tb3+ and from Tb3+ to Yb3+ under UV excitation.
• Emission bands of GdPO4:Yb3+/Tb3+ in visible region under IR excitation.
• Cooperative energy transfer from two Yb3+ ions to one Tb3+ ion under IR excitation.
• Potential application of GdPO4:Yb3+/Tb3+ as spectrum converter in solar cells.

GdPO4:Yb3+/Tb3+ powders were synthesized by a solid state reaction. The XRD patterns indicated that the obtained GdPO4:Yb3+/Tb3+ powders have the monoclinic phase. Under the excitation of lights in the ultraviolet region, GdPO4:Yb3+/Tb3+ powders show dominate green emission in the visible light region and emission band peaking at 980 nm in the infrared region along with shoulders at 1001 nm and 1024 nm, which originate from the 5D4 → 7Fj (j = 6, 5, 4 and 3) transitions of Tb3+ and 2D5/2 → 2F7/2 transitions of Yb3+ ions, respectively. Under the excitation of 980 nm, GdPO4:Yb3+/Tb3+ powders show dominate green emission in the visible light region, which is based on the cooperative energy transfer between two Yb3+ ions and one Tb3+ ion. The results present successful doping of rare earth ions in particles with both up and down conversion fluorescence properties that can be used as potential spectrum converter in solar cells.

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