Near-and mid-infrared fluorescence enhancement in terbium-yttrium polytantalate

Devices incorporating localized surface plasmon polariton-enhanced fluorescence have the potential to be more sensitive, effective and smaller than their traditional counterparts. A unique study examining the fluorescence enhancement of Tb3+ doped yttrium polytantalate, Tb_0.15Y_0.85Ta₇O₁₉, in the 1000-5000 nm region will be described. After sputtering onto films of plasmonic gold nanoparticles, thickness dependent, infrared fluorescence enhancement factors were found to be 0.64-6-fold relative to the same thickness film without gold particles. The large Tb_0.15Y_0.85Ta₇O₁₉ film thickness dependence on the fluorescence enhancement factor will be described within the context of electromagnetic theory.