Luminescence of Nd3+ ions under excitation of CdSe quantum dots in a glass system: energy transfer

We report rare evidence of energy transfer from CdSe quantum dots (QDs) to Nd3+ ions in a SNAB glass system using absorption electronic transitions of ion as a nonresonant excitation source. However, the luminescence band was observed at 880 nm (F-4(3/2) -> I-4(9/2) transition) under 409 nm excitation only when Nd3+ ions were embedded in the SNAB glass system with CdSe QDs. This happened because the Nd3+ ions absorbed the photons emitted by CdSe QDs with 409 nm excitation. Band overlap of the QD luminescence band and the ion optical absorption bands caused photon absorption and produced valleys in the QD luminescence spectrum. This overlap contributed to reduction in the lifetime F-4(3/2) state. (C) 2013 Optical Society of America