Chirp-dependent dual light emission in Na_(0.95)Er_(0.05)Nb_(0.9)Ti_(0.1)O_(3) perovskite

Abstract

Polar Na_(0.95)Er_(0.05)Nb_(0.9)Ti_(0.1)O_(3) perovskite has been synthesized as a nanostructured material by microwave assisted hydrothermal method. The characterization indicates that erbium is a constituent of the crystal structure and is preferentially located in sodium positions. The compound combines the nonlinear optical properties of the host (NaNb_(0.9)Ti_(0.1)O_(2.95) and the fluorescent properties of the Er^(3+)-dopant. Under excitation by a single femtosecond (< 10 fs) laser in the near-infrared region, simultaneous dual emission signals of second harmonic generation (SHG) and up-converting fluorescence (UCF) are observed and the nonlinear dependencies of the SHG and UCF intensities on the excitation intensity are measured. In addition, both emissions are shown to be sensitive to the chirp of the exciting pulses, and for UCF, it can be explained by means of a simple theoretical model based on the density matrix equations. These nano-structured particles with chirp-dependent dual behavior can be very advantageous when used in biological systems, since they can provide complementary information in different spectral ranges and tissues and are susceptible of coherent control, which can be both useful in optical microscopy and bioimaging.