Surface Plasmon Resonance Enhanced Spontaneous Upconversion and Stimulated Emissions in Glass Ceramics Containing Ba2LaF7 Nanocrystals

Glass ceramics containing Yb3+, Er3+ codoped Ba2LaF7 nanocrystals were fabricated via melt quenching method and the subsequent heating treatment. The formation of Ba2LaF7 nanocrystals in the glass ceramics was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The spontaneous upconversion (UC) emission and the stimulated counterpart as a random lasing action of Er3+, which were related to the characteristic transitions of Er3+ ions, were achieved in the Yb3+, Er3+-doped Ba2LaF7 nanocrystals embedded glass ceramic hybrid. Furthermore, the absorption spectra verified the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) band of Ag, which precipitated from the matrix glasses as Ag nanoparticles (NPs). By incorporating Ag NPs in the glass ceramic hybrid, spontaneous UC emission intensity of Er3+ in visible region was significantly enhanced, while the threshold of the random lasing was decreased from 480 to 350 nJ/cm2.