Simultaneous enhancement of upconversion and downshifting luminescence via plasmonic structure

Abstract

We describe a metal nanodisk-insulator-metal (MIM) structure that enhances lanthanide-based upconversion (UC) and downshifting (DS) simultaneously. The structure was fabricated using a nanotransfer printing method that facilitates large-area applications of nanostructures for optoelectronic devices. The proposed MIM structure is a promising way to harness the entire solar spectrum by converting both ultraviolet and near-infrared to visible light concurrently through resonant-mode excitation. The overall photoluminescence enhancements of the UC and DS were 174- and 29-fold, respectively.

Keywords: Upconversion; downshifting; energy transfer; metal nanopattern; nanotransfer printing; plasmonic structure; solar spectrum conversion.