A strategy to design lanthanide doped dual-mode phosphor mediated spectral convertor for solar cell applications

Herein, we demonstrate the synthesis of dual-mode Gd2O3:Eu3+, Er3+, Yb3+ phosphor by a facile high-temperature solid-state method as a spectral convertor for the enhancement of conversion efficiency of solar cell. The dual-mode Gd2O3:Eu3+, Er3+, Yb3+ phosphor has cubic crystal structure with space group Ia (3) over bar. The surface morphology of dual-mode Gd2O3:Eu3+, Er3+, Yb3+ phosphor has been investigated by scanning electron microscopy. The spectroscopic features of dual-mode Gd2O3:Eu3+, Er3+, Yb3+ phosphor have been examined by photoluminescence (PL) and time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL). The dual-mode Gd2O3: Eu3+, Er3+, Yb3+ phosphor gives strong red emissions at 611 nm and 663 upon excitation wavelengths of 200-500 nm and 980 nm, respectively. The dual-mode Gd2O3:Eu3+, Er3+, Yb3+ phosphor has average lifetime similar to 598.7 mu s. Further, PL intensity distribution in dual-mode Gd2O3:Eu3+, Er3+, Yb3+ phosphor have been examined by PL confocal microscopy. The spatially resolved PL mapping results reveal that dual-mode Gd2O3:Eu3+, Er3+, Yb3+ phosphor has PL emission throughout the sample at excitation wavelengths of 375 nm and 980 nm, respectively. Hence, the obtained results suggest that dual-mode Gd2O3:Eu3+, Er3+, Yb3+ phosphor could be a promising luminescent material for spectral convertor to improve the efficiency of next generation silicon solar cell