Mechanism and pathway of the energy transfer between luminescent silver clusters and Tb3+ or Dy3+ ions in silica-based glass

Abstract

Luminescent silver clusters (LSCs) stabilized in inorganic glasses have attracted considerable attention because of their bright white luminescence. The energy transfer between LSCs and lanthanide ions was utilized to change the emission of the co-doped glasses. In this work, energy transfer in glasses co-doped with LSCs and Tb³⁺ ions or LSCs and Dy³⁺ ions was investigated using steady-state and time-resolved methods. The results indicate that both the S₁ and T₁ states of the LSCs participate in energy transfer to the Tb³⁺ and Dy³⁺ ions. It was shown that Tb³⁺ ions accept energy from LSCs mainly through the ⁵D₄ state. In the case of glasses co-doped with LSCs and Dy³⁺ ions, the participation of the ⁶F_J states of the Dy³⁺ ions in energy transfer was demonstrated. Finally, it was shown that the decrease in the quantum yield of the LSC emissions in the presence of Tb³⁺ and Dy³⁺ ions is much higher than that of the emission lifetime. This difference in the decrease in the LSC emission quantum yield and lifetime was attributed to the coexistence of the two quenching mechanisms.