Sensitized emission from lanthanide-doped nanoparticles embedded in a semiconductor sol-gel thin film.

In(2)O(3) sol-gel thin films made with LaF(3):Ln(3+) (Ln=Er, Nd, and Eu) nanoparticles were prepared and showed sensitized emission of the lanthanide ions after In(2)O(3) matrix excitation. The excitation spectra showed an In(2)O(3) absorption band in addition to the excitation peaks of the lanthanide ions, clearly demonstrating that there is energy transfer from the In(2)O(3) matrix to Ln(3+) (Er(3+), Nd(3+), and Eu(3+)). Similarly, HfO(2) and ZrO(2) sol-gel thin films made with LaF(3):Ln(3+) nanoparticles also showed energy transfer from the semiconductor matrix to the lanthanide ions.