Luminescence properties of YVO₄:Yb,Er nanoparticles dispersed in water

We have synthesized YVO₄: Yb, Er nanoparticles in the size range of 100-500 nm, which form aqueous colloidal solutions and are luminescent when excited by femtosecond light pulses at a wavelength of 263 nm. It was established that the luminescence occurs due to the emission of Er³⁺ ions in characteristic spectral lines at 525 nm and 550 nm. However, an effective quenching channel for metastable levels of Er³⁺ ions is evident, so that the characteristic luminescence line of Er³⁺ ions in the 660 nm region is absent. We associate this quenching channel with a large concentration of lattice defects with possible localization of high-frequency quenchers. (paper)