We have established the design parameters and deposition conditions to prepare nanostructured Er3+ and Si NP co-doped a-Al2O3 lms by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). The independent deposition of dopants and the in situ formation of Si NPs during the growth process allow us to establish the Er3+ and Si NP dopants con guration for which the emission at 1.53 m and the energy transfer process from Si NPs to Er3+ ions are optimized. The new Er3+-Si NP coupling has been observed and it has been studied for the first time for the case of amorphous Si NPs in as grown thin lms. This achievement has been possible due to the special deposition conditions of the PLD that allow us study the electronic properties of Si NPs of different sizes without variation of their structural quality or host properties. Moreover the sequential deposition of the Er3+ ions, Si NPs and a-Al2O3 host has allowed us control the spatial location of the two dopants tuning the distance between Er3+ and Si NP 2D-distributions below nanoscale. It is remarkable that for the Er3+ and Si NP dopant configuration where the 2D-distribution of Er3+ ions is in contact with the 2D-distribution of Si NPs (s=0) a new coupling regime has been observed that has not been shown on any Er3+-Si NPs system ever before.

Peer reviewed