title: Photon management properties of rare-earth (Nd,Yb,Sm)-doped CeO2 films prepared by pulsed laser deposition.
abstract: CeO2 is a promising material for applications in optoelectronics and photovoltaics due to its large band gap and values of the refractive index and lattice parameters, which are suitable for silicon-based devices. In this study, we show that trivalent Sm, Nd and Yb ions can be successfully inserted and optically activated in CeO2 films grown at a relatively low deposition temperature (400 °C), which is compatible with inorganic photovoltaics. CeO2 thin films can therefore be efficiently functionalized with photon-management properties by doping with trivalent rare earth (RE) ions. Structural and optical analyses provide details of the electronic level structure of the films and of their energy transfer mechanisms. In particular, we give evidence of the existence of an absorption band centered at 350 nm from which energy transfer to rare earth ions occurs. The transfer mechanisms can be completely explained only by considering the spontaneous migration of Ce(3+) ions in CeO2 at a short distance from the RE(3+) ions. The strong absorption cross section of the f-d transitions in Ce(3+) ions efficiently intercepts the UV photons of the solar spectrum and therefore strongly increases the potential of these layers as downshifters and downconverters.
authors.affiliation: Institut de Physique et Chimie des Matériaux de Strasbourg, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS UMR 7504, 23 rue du Loess, B.P. 43, F-67034 Strasbourg Cedex 2, France. m_balestrieri@libero.it colis@ipcms.unistra.fr colis@ipcms.u-strasbg.fr.
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Balestrieri
authors.affiliation: Institut de Physique et Chimie des Matériaux de Strasbourg, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS UMR 7504, 23 rue du Loess, B.P. 43, F-67034 Strasbourg Cedex 2, France. m_balestrieri@libero.it colis@ipcms.unistra.fr colis@ipcms.u-strasbg.fr.
authors.forename: Silviu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Colis
authors.affiliation: Institut de Physique et Chimie des Matériaux de Strasbourg, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS UMR 7504, 23 rue du Loess, B.P. 43, F-67034 Strasbourg Cedex 2, France. m_balestrieri@libero.it colis@ipcms.unistra.fr colis@ipcms.u-strasbg.fr.
authors.forename: Mathieu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gallart
authors.affiliation: Institut de Physique et Chimie des Matériaux de Strasbourg, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS UMR 7504, 23 rue du Loess, B.P. 43, F-67034 Strasbourg Cedex 2, France. m_balestrieri@libero.it colis@ipcms.unistra.fr colis@ipcms.u-strasbg.fr.
authors.forename: Guy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schmerber
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Engineering Physics, University of Saskatchewan, 116 Science Place, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E2, Canada.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bazylewski
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Engineering Physics, University of Saskatchewan, 116 Science Place, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E2, Canada.
authors.forename: Gap Soo
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Institut de Physique et Chimie des Matériaux de Strasbourg, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS UMR 7504, 23 rue du Loess, B.P. 43, F-67034 Strasbourg Cedex 2, France. m_balestrieri@libero.it colis@ipcms.unistra.fr colis@ipcms.u-strasbg.fr.
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ziegler
authors.affiliation: Institut de Physique et Chimie des Matériaux de Strasbourg, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS UMR 7504, 23 rue du Loess, B.P. 43, F-67034 Strasbourg Cedex 2, France. m_balestrieri@libero.it colis@ipcms.unistra.fr colis@ipcms.u-strasbg.fr.
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gilliot
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire ICube, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS UMR 7357, 23 rue du Loess, B.P. 20, F-67037 Strasbourg Cedex 2, France.
authors.forename: Abdelilah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Slaoui
authors.affiliation: Institut de Physique et Chimie des Matériaux de Strasbourg, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS UMR 7504, 23 rue du Loess, B.P. 43, F-67034 Strasbourg Cedex 2, France. m_balestrieri@libero.it colis@ipcms.unistra.fr colis@ipcms.u-strasbg.fr.
authors.forename: Aziz
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dinia