Two-wavelength excitation-driven robust operation of green up-conversion emission in Er3+-doped oxyfluoride glass-ceramic

Efficient optical modulation enables a significant improvement of optical conversion efficiency and regulation of optical response rate, showing great potential for optoelectronics applications. However, the weak interaction between photons poses a strong obstacle for manipulating photon-photon interactivity. Here, upon simultaneous excitation of 850 and 1550 nm, a fast-slow optical modulation of green up-conversion (UC) luminescence in oxyfluoride glass ceramics containing NaYF4:Er3+ nanocrystals can be achieved. Compared with the sum of luminescence intensity excited by the two single-wavelengths, green UC luminescence excited by simultaneous two-wavelength presents an obvious increase by approximate six times. Interestingly, the response rate of green UC luminescence relies on the pump strategy of two-wavelength excitation, showing as high as two times of the fast-slow response difference. The fast-slow optical modulation of green UC luminescence under two-wavelength excitation is promising for emerging applications in all-optical switching.

Automated summary

Efficient optical modulation has great potential for optoelectronics applications, but the weak interaction between photons poses a strong obstacle. In this study, by simultaneously exciting different wavelengths, a fast-slow modulation of green up-conversion luminescence can be achieved in oxyfluoride glass ceramics. The findings show promise for emerging applications in all-optical switching.