Effect of silver nanoparticles on the luminescence spectral characteristics of rare-earth ion doped sodium borate glasses

A few different sodium borate glasses were made with various combinations of dopants ions, Sm3+, Dy3+, Tb3+ and Ag+. Absorption, and fluorescence spectral data of these samples were recorded. Chromaticity diagrams were plotted to measure color coordinates and color temperature. Samples were subjected to heat treatments above the glass transition temperature, to induce silver nanoparticles. Heat treated samples revealed a large enhancement in luminescence under 405 nm diode laser excitation and a relatively weaker enhancement under 375 nm laser excitation, which indicates the influence of plasmonic effect.