Three-Dimensional High Spatial Localization of Efficient Resonant Energy Transfer from Laser-Assisted Precipitated Silver Clusters to Trivalent Europium Ions

• Main Authors: Yannick Petit, Gustavo Galleani, Guillaume Raffy, Jean-Charles Desmoulin, Véronique Jubéra, André Del Guerzo, Andrea Simone Stucchi de Camargo, Lionel Canioni, Thierry Cardinal
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-02-01
• Series: Crystals
• Subjects: silver clusters; rare earth ions; femtosecond laser inscription; FLIM spectroscopy; resonant transfers; Dexter process
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4352/11/2/148

We report on the 3D precipitation, using a direct laser writing approach, of highly fluorescent silver clusters in a Eu³⁺-doped silver-containing zinc phosphate glass. Micro-spectroscopy of fluorescence emission shows the ability to continuously adjust the local tri-chromatic coordinates in the CIE (Commission Internationale de l’Éclairage) chromaticity diagram between red and white colors, thanks to the laser-deposited dose and resulting tunable combination of emissions from Eu³⁺ and silver clusters. Moreover, continuous-wave and time-resolved FAST-FLIM spectroscopies showed a significant enhancement of the fluorescence emission of Eu³⁺ ions while being co-located with UV-excited laser-inscribed silver clusters. These results demonstrate the ability to perform efficient resonant non-radiative energy transfer from excited silver clusters to Eu³⁺, allowing such energy transfer to be highly localized on demand thanks to laser inscription. Such results open the route to 3D printing of the rare earth ions emission in glass.