Plasmon-enhanced upconversion photoluminescence: Mechanism and application

The enhanced local electromagnetic field (EM) excited on the noble metallic nanostructure exhibits potential application in various areas, particularly in surface-enhanced spectroscopy (SES). Resonant coupling of SPs to luminous centers can strongly moderate the emission spectra properties, including the angular distribution, the intensity, the speed of radiative decay, and even the spectrum radiation polarization, or so-called plasmon-enhanced fluorescence (PEF). Due to the low efficiency of emission and small absorption section of rare earth ions, plasmon-enhanced upconversion photoluminescence (PUCPL) has attracted increasing attention recently. In this review, we focus on recent advanced reports on PUCPL. First, the mechanism of the conventional upconversion process and related reports will be introduced. We will then demonstrate that the introduction of plasmonic nanostructure, including nonperiodic and periodic metallic nanostructures, has a critical effect on upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs). The recent advances in plasmon-enhanced fluorescence with metallic tip configuration are also noted. Finally, the recent applications of PUCPL are introduced. As a result, the combination of a rare-earth luminescent center with plasmonic nanostructure can largely expand the application of upconversion materials.