Enhanced quantum cutting luminescence by Au nanorods through improving radiative transition rate

Quantum cutting (QC) phosphor β-NaYF4:Tb3+, Yb3+ nanoparticles (NPs) are decorated with Au nanorods (NRs). By tailoring Au NRs longitudinal plasmon resonance to match the emission wavelength of Yb3+ ion, plasmon-enhanced near-infrared (NIR) QC luminescence is achieved through improving Yb3+ ion's radiative transition rate. The decay curves of Yb3+ ion in β-NaYF4:Tb3+, Yb3+ NPs decorated with Au NRs further confirm the improvement of radiative transition rate. The influence of Au NRs concentration on QC luminescence is also investigated, and the results show that the optimal concentration of Au NRs is 0.12% with the maximum enhancement factor about 3. Our study may not only path the way to achieve simultaneous excitation and emission enhancement of QC luminescence, but also provide a potential application as QC layer to silicon-based solar cells.