Efficient near-infrared quantum cutting by Ce3+-Yb3+ couple in GdBO3 phosphors

Ce3+ and Yb3+ co-activated GdBO3 phosphors were prepared by a conventional solid-state reaction method. X-ray powder diffraction, photoluminescent spectra and decay curves were used to characterize their structural and luminescent properties. An efficient near-infrared (NIR) quantum cutting (QC) from the phosphors was observed, which involved the emission of two low-energy NIR photons (around 971 nm) from an absorbed ultra-violet (UV) photon at 358 nm via a cooperative energy transfer (CET) from Ce3+ to Yb3+ ions. The theoretical quantum efficiency was calculated and the maximum efficiency approached up to 164% before reaching the critical concentration quenching threshold. Our results demonstrated that these phosphors might find potential application in improving the efficiency of silicon based solar cells.