Single-nanocrystal sensitivity achieved by enhanced upconversion luminescence

Zhao, J; Jin, D; Schartner, EP; Lu, Y; Liu, Y; Zvyagin, AV; Zhang, L; Dawes, JM; Xi, P; Piper, JA; Goldys, EM; Monro, TM

Single-nanocrystal sensitivity achieved by enhanced upconversion luminescence

Zhao, J Jin, D

Schartner, EP Lu, Y Liu, Y Zvyagin, AV Zhang, L Dawes, JM Xi, P Piper, JA Goldys, EM Monro, TM

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Nature Nanotechnology, 2013, 8 (10), pp. 729 - 734
Issue Date:: 2013-01-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Zhao, J	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Jin, D https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1046-2666	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Schartner, EP	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Lu, Y	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Liu, Y	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Zvyagin, AV	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Zhang, L	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Dawes, JM	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Xi, P	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Piper, JA	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Goldys, EM	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Monro, TM	en_US
dc.date.available	2013-07-26	en_US
dc.date.issued	2013-01-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Nature Nanotechnology, 2013, 8 (10), pp. 729 - 734	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	1748-3387	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/116300
dc.description.abstract	Upconversion nanocrystals convert infrared radiation to visible luminescence, and are promising for applications in biodetection1-3, bioimaging4-7, solar cells8-10 and three-dimensional display technologies8,9,11. Although the design of suitable nanocrystals has improved the performance of upconversion nanocrystals10,12-14, their emission brightness is limited by the low doping concentration of activator ions needed to avoid the luminescence quenching that occurs at high concentrations15,16. Here, we demonstrate that high excitation irradiance can alleviate concentration quenching in upconversion luminescence when combined with higher activator concentration, which can be increased from 0.5 mol% to 8 mol% Tm31 in NaYF4. This leads to significantly enhanced luminescence signals, by up to a factor of 70. By using such bright nanocrystals, we demonstrate remote tracking of a single nanocrystal with a microstructured optical-fibre dip sensor. This represents a sensitivity improvement of three orders of magnitude over benchmark nanocrystals such as quantum dots17. © 2013 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Nature Nanotechnology	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1038/nnano.2013.171	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Yttrium	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Microscopy, Electron, Transmission	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Biosensing Techniques	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Particle Size	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Nanotechnology	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Luminescence	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Nanoparticles	en_US
dc.title	Single-nanocrystal sensitivity achieved by enhanced upconversion luminescence	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	10	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	8	en_US
utslib.for	MD Multidisciplinary	en_US
utslib.for	0205 Optical Physics	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science/School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - IBMD - Initiative for Biomedical Devices
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.issue	10	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	8	en_US

Abstract:

Upconversion nanocrystals convert infrared radiation to visible luminescence, and are promising for applications in biodetection1-3, bioimaging4-7, solar cells8-10 and three-dimensional display technologies8,9,11. Although the design of suitable nanocrystals has improved the performance of upconversion nanocrystals10,12-14, their emission brightness is limited by the low doping concentration of activator ions needed to avoid the luminescence quenching that occurs at high concentrations15,16. Here, we demonstrate that high excitation irradiance can alleviate concentration quenching in upconversion luminescence when combined with higher activator concentration, which can be increased from 0.5 mol% to 8 mol% Tm31 in NaYF4. This leads to significantly enhanced luminescence signals, by up to a factor of 70. By using such bright nanocrystals, we demonstrate remote tracking of a single nanocrystal with a microstructured optical-fibre dip sensor. This represents a sensitivity improvement of three orders of magnitude over benchmark nanocrystals such as quantum dots17. © 2013 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/116300