Mass fabrication of homogeneously Yb-doped silica nanoparticles and their spectroscopic properties

A large number of homogeneously Yb-doped silica nanoparticles were continually fabricated in a vapor synthesis route, in which the Yb doping level can be well controlled by varying either the heating temperature or the carrier gas flow rate of the Yb precursor. The sizes, shapes, and morphologies of the nanoparticles were examined, and no crystallites and no Yb2O3 clusters were observed in the nanoparticles. These nanoparticles exhibit a clear Yb3+-derived absorption at around 973-975 nm and a dependence of the emission intensity and decay time on the doping level, much different from that of sintered pellets.