Lanthanide doped semiconductor thin films for photonic and optoelectronic applications.

The article provides a comprehensive review of recent advancements in lanthanide-doped semiconductor thin films, focusing on their synthesis, characterization, and applications in photonics and optoelectronics. It categorizes these films based on their semiconductor matrices—wide bandgap, perovskite, two-dimensional, piezoelectric, and organic semiconductors—and discusses fabrication methods alongside their unique luminescent and electronic properties. Key applications highlighted include anti-counterfeiting, optical sensing, quantum communication, solar cells, photodetectors, light-emitting diodes, and photoelectric imaging. The review also addresses challenges such as efficient energy transfer to lanthanide ions, precise doping control, and material compatibility, proposing advanced synthesis and co-doping strategies as potential solutions while noting the broader future prospects of these materials in integrated optoelectronic devices and biomedical fields.