Luminescence of silver, thulium and ytterbium doped oxyfluoride glasses

Silver and lanthanide (Tm3+, Yb3+) doped oxyfluoride glasses have been prepared by melt-quenching method. The absorption of the glasses was measured in the range from 350 to 550 nm revealing the absorption edges of Ag nanoclusters and Tm3+ transition. The photoluminescence spectra of the glasses were detected in the range from 400 to 1100 nm under excitation in the range from 300 to 500 nm. The photoluminescence excitation spectra showed that Ag nanoclusters and Tm3+ ions can effectively harvest energy in UV-range and convert to visible and infrared (through emission by Yb3+ ions) ranges making the glasses perspective as white light emitters and solar spectrum downconverters.