Multilayering of optical thin films is widely used for a range of purposes in photonic technology, but the development of nanofiber structures that can outperform thin films and nanoparticles in optical applications cannot simply be disregarded. Hybrid structures composed of Tm3+-doped SiO2-HfO2 in the form of nanofibers (NFs) and thin films (TFs) are deposited on a single substrate using the electrospinning and dip-coating methods, respectively. Ultrafine nanofiber strands with a diameter of 10-60 nm were fabricated in both single and multilayer samples. Enhanced photoluminescence emission intensity of about 10 times was attained at wavelengths of around 457, 512 and 634 nm under an excitation of 350 nm for NF-TF-NF* hybrid structures when compared with single-layered NF and TF structures. The arrangement of nanofibers and thin films in a multilayer structure influenced the luminescence intensity and spectral bandwidth. High transparency in the range of 75-95% transparency across the wavelength of 200-2000 nm was achieved, making it ideal for photonic application. Theoretical findings obtained through IMD software were compared with experimental results, and they were found to be in good agreement.
Keywords: multilayering; nanofiber; optical materials; photoluminescence; rare earth; silica-hafnia; thin film; thulium.