Near-infrared quantum cutting in Ce3+, Er3+, and Yb3+ doped yttrium silicate powders prepared by combustion synthesis

Yttrium silicate (YS) powders doped with Ce3+, Er3+, and Yb3+ were prepared by combustion synthesis. The material was investigated for use as energy downconverters to reduce thermalization losses in crystalline Si solar cells. The powders were excited by UV light (355 nm), and near-infrared emission around 1 mu m was observed corresponding to a quantum cutting (QC) effect. The QC process occurs via cooperative energy transfer from Ce3+ (sensitizer) to Yb3+ (activator) in Ce3+:Yb3+ co-doped YS powders. QC was also observed in Er3+:Yb3+ co-doped YS powder via sequential energy transfer. The idea of synergy by use of Ce3+:Er3+:Yb3+ triply doped system to enhance the QC efficiency was investigated. We observed that the QC performance of Ce3+:Er3+:Yb3+ triply doped YS powder is not superior to that of Ce3+:Yb3+ co-doped YS powder due to near-infrared luminescence quenching induced by energy back-transfer from Yb3+ to Er3+. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3653968]