Facile synthesis,novel structure,multicolor luminescence,and potential applications of lanthanide ions doped bismuth titanate phosphors

A variety of lanthanide ions doped bismuth titanate (Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂) luminescent materials with eminent down-conversion (DC) and up-conversion (UC) luminescence performance have been fabricated via a facile sol-gel approach. The XRD, XPS, and EDX elemental mapping results confirm the phase structure of orthorhombic Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂ (BTO), and the lanthanide activator ions occupy the Bi³⁺ lattice sites in the BTO crystal. Under UV or NIR excitation, the Eu³⁺, Yb³⁺/Ln³⁺ (Ln = Er, Tm, and Ho) doped Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂ samples exhibit characteristic red, green, blue, and green emissions. The luminescent mechanisms of the BTO:Eu³⁺ and BTO:Yb³⁺/Ln³⁺ samples are discussed based on the energy level diagrams. The doping concentrations of Eu³⁺, Yb³⁺, Er³⁺, Tm³⁺, Ho³⁺ ions and annealing temperature and time are optimized, whose optimal values are determined to be 14, 8, 1, 0.4, 1 mol% and 800 ^oC, 4 h. The as-obtained LED devices fabricated by Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂:Eu³⁺ and Yb³⁺/Ln³⁺ phosphors exhibit dazzling multicolor visible light emissions from different Ln³⁺ ions. The results indicate that the as-obtained Ln³⁺ doped BTO phosphors may be potentially utilized in LED devices and solid-state lighting. Furthermore, the Eu³⁺ and Er³⁺ co-doped BTO samples exhibit different DC and UC luminescence spectral profiles when excited at various UV, visible, or NIR wavelengths, revealing their eminent feasibility and great potential in anti-counterfeiting applications.     

Preparation,luminescence properties,and application of temperature sensing and anti-counterfeiting of La2MgTiO6:Yb3+/Ln3+/Mn4+

The doping of transition metal ions in the up-conversion (UC) luminescent material doped with Yb³⁺/Ln³⁺ is a facile way to increase their UC luminescence intensities and alter their colors. In this study, La₂MgTiO₆:Yb³⁺/Mn⁴⁺/Ln³⁺ (Ln³⁺ = Er³⁺, Ho³⁺, and Tm³⁺) phosphors showing excellent luminescence properties were prepared by a solid-state method. The sensitivity of the La₂MgTiO₆:Yb³⁺/Ln³⁺/Mn⁴⁺ phosphor was double that without Mn⁴⁺, because Mn⁴⁺ affects the UC emissions of Ln³⁺ via energy transfer between these ions. Moreover, Mn⁴⁺ also acts as a down-conversion activator, which can combine with UC ions to achieve multi-mode luminescence at different wavelengths. Under 980 nm excitation, these samples emit green light (from Er³⁺ and Ho³⁺) and blue light (from Tm³⁺). In contrast, under 365 nm excitation, they emit red light (from Mn⁴⁺). Further testing revealed that the La₂MgTiO₆:Yb³⁺/Mn⁴⁺/Ln³⁺ phosphors have potential applications in temperature sensing and anti-counterfeiting.     

Rapid green preparation of Lu7O6F9:RE (RE = Eu3+/Gd3+, Yb3+/Er3+) phosphors using ionic liquids

Rare earth oxyfluoride materials are a fascinating class of host matrixes for various applications. However, rapid green preparation of multifunctional rare earth oxyfluoride phosphors remains a huge challenge. In this work, we report the fast synthesis of Lu₇O₆F₉ using ionic liquids (ILs), which enables the precursors to be obtained at 10 min. The effects of calcination temperature, reaction temperature, reaction time and fluorine source on the phase and morphology of precursors and products are elaborated and the growth mechanism is put forward. Eu³⁺ alone and Yb³⁺, Er³⁺ co-doped samples were prepared to investigate the down-conversion (DC) and up-conversion (UC) properties, respectively. Besides, Gd³⁺ ions were introduced to the Eu³⁺ doped products, endowing the phosphors more intense luminescence and paramagnetic properties. The proposed facile synthesis route, excellent luminescence, thermal stability and paramagnetic properties open up the way to obtain rare earth fluoride and oxyfluoride for multifunctional applications.     

Color-tunable up-conversion emission from Yb3+/Er3+/Tm3+/Ho3+ codoped KY(MoO4)2 microcrystals based on energy transfer

Tunable up-conversion luminescent material KY(MoO₄)₂: Yb³⁺, Ln³⁺ (Ln=Er, Tm, Ho) has been synthesized by a typical hydrothermal process. Under 980 nm laser diode (LD) excitation, the emission intensity and the corresponding luminescence colors of KY(MoO₄)₂: Yb³⁺, Ln³⁺ (Ln=Er, Tm, Ho) have been investigated in detail. The energy transfer from the Yb³⁺ sensitizer to Ho³⁺, Er³⁺ and Tm³⁺ activators plays an important role in the development of color-tunable single- phased phosphors. The emission intensity keep balance through control of the Ho³⁺ co-doping concentrations, white light was experimentally shown at KY(MoO₄)₂: 20 mol% Yb³⁺, 0.8 mol% Er³⁺, 0.5 mol% Tm³⁺, 1.0 mol% Ho³⁺ phosphor with further calcination at 800 °C for 4 h under 980 nm laser excitation. The color tunability, high quality of white light and high intensity of the emitted signal make these up-conversion (UC) phosphors excellent candidates for applications in solid-state lighting.     

Structure,Infrared Reflectivity and Microwave Dielectric Properties of (Na0.5La0.5)MoO4–(Na0.5Bi0.5)MoO4 Ceramics

A series of temperature‐stable microwave dielectric ceramics, (1?x)(Na_0.5La_0.5)MoO₄–x(Na_0.5Bi_0.5)MoO₄ (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 1.0) were prepared by using solid‐state reaction. All specimens can be well sintered at temperature of 580°C–680°C. Sintering behavior, phase composition, microstructures, and microwave dielectric properties of the ceramics were investigated. X‐ray diffraction results indicated that tetragonal scheelite solid solution was formed. Microwave dielectric properties showed that permittivity (ε_r) and temperature coefficient of resonant frequency (τ_f) were increased gradually, while quality factor (Q × f) values were decreased, at the x value was increased. The 0.45(Na_0.5La_0.5)MoO₄–0.55(Na_0.5Bi_0.5)MoO₄ ceramic sintered at 640°C with a relative permittivity of 23.1, a Q × f values of 17 500 GHz (at 9 GHz) and a near zero τ_f value of 0.28 ppm/°C. Far‐infrared spectra (50–1000 cm^?1) study showed that complex dielectric spectra were in good agreement with the measured microwave permittivity and dielectric losses.     

Up-conversion luminescence and temperature-sensing properties of Li+, K+ doped Na2Zn3Si2O8: Er3+ phosphors

In this work we detail the preparation of new luminescent Li⁺ and K⁺ doped Na₂Zn₃Si₂O₈: Er³⁺ up-conversion phosphors using the high-temperature solid-phase method. We investigate the phosphors phase structure, elemental distribution, up-conversion luminescence characteristics and temperature sensing properties. Our fabricated samples were found to be homogeneous and when excited using 980 nm light, they emitted wavelengths in the green and red visible wavelength bands, which correspond to two major emission bands of Er³⁺. Doping with Li⁺ and K⁺ increased the luminescence intensity of the Na₂Zn₃Si₂O₈: Er³⁺ phosphor at 661 nm by 36 and 21 times respectively. The highest relative temperature sensitivity (Sa) of the fabricated phosphor reached a value of 19.69% K^?1 and the highest absolute temperature sensitivity (Sr) reached 1.20% K^?1. These values are superior to other materials which utilize up-conversion by Er³⁺ ions as a tool for temperature sensing. We anticipate that these new phosphors will find significant application as components in optical temperature measurement systems.     

Photoluminescence enhancement in a Na5Y(MoO4)4:Dy3+ white-emitting phosphor by partial replacement of MoO42− with WO42− or VO43−

A series of Na₅Y(MoO₄)_4-yA_y:Dy³⁺ (A = WO₄^2?, VO₄^3?; y = 0–0.05) phosphors were synthesized by the combustion method. Some of the MoO₄^2? sites were occupied by WO₄^2? and VO₄^3? anions, which enhanced the luminescence property of Dy³⁺-doped Na₅Y(MoO₄)₄. XRD results show that the crystal structures of the samples were consistent with the standard Na₅Y(MoO₄)₄ phase. Under excitation at 352 nm, the Na₅Y(MoO₄)_4-yA_y:Dy³⁺ phosphors exhibited a characteristic blue emission at 485 nm and a yellow emission at 577 nm, which originated from the ⁴F_9/2 → ⁶H_15/2 and ⁴F_9/2 → ⁶H_13/2 transitions of Dy³⁺ ions, respectively. White light can be achieved by combining these blue and yellow emissions. After replacing MoO₄^2? with WO₄^2? and VO₄^3? anions in Na₅Y(MoO₄)₄:Dy³⁺, the luminescence intensity of Dy³⁺ was significantly improved due to the crystal field effect. The results indicate that Na₅Y(MoO₄)_3.97(WO₄)_0.03:Dy³⁺ and Na₅Y(MoO₄)_3.97(VO₄)_0.03:Dy³⁺ phosphors have good prospects for application in n-UV-excited w-LEDs.     

Deep blue,cyan, orange-red,and white multicolor emissions generated by Bi3+/Eu3+ activated KBaYSi2O7 luminescent materials for white light-emitting diodes

A variety of Bi³⁺ and/or Eu³⁺ doped KBaYSi₂O₇ phosphors with deep blue, cyan, orange-red, and white light multicolor emissions have been fabricated by a Pechini sol-gel (PSG) method. The KBaYSi₂O₇:Bi³⁺ phosphors exhibit an intense cyan emission or a unique narrow deep blue emission when excited by different wavelengths, which may bridge the cyan gap or act as a promising deep blue phosphor for white light-emitting diodes (WLEDs). The tunable multicolor emissions can be achieved by changing the Bi³⁺ doping concentrations. The Bi³⁺/Eu³⁺ co-doped KBaYSi₂O₇ phosphors display intrinsic emissions of Bi³⁺ and Eu³⁺ and an energy transfer process between Bi³⁺ and Eu³⁺ can be detected. The luminescence colors of KBaYSi₂O₇:Bi³⁺,Eu³⁺ regularly shift from blue, through cold and warm white, finally toward orange-red by adjusting the relative doping concentrations of Bi³⁺ and Eu³⁺. The single-phase white light-emitting material can be generated in both cold and warm white regions by simply varying the Eu³⁺ doping concentrations. Furthermore, three kinds of WLEDs devices are fabricated by KBaYSi₂O₇:Bi³⁺ or KBaYSi₂O₇:Bi³⁺,Eu³⁺ phosphors, which can exhibit dazzling white light emissions with eminent CIE coordinates, correlated color temperature, and color rendering index. The result offers direct evidence that the as-synthesized phosphors may be potentially applied in WLEDs and solid-state lighting.     

Realizing broadband spectral conversion in novel Ce3+,Cr3+,Ln3+ (Ln = Yb,Nd, Er) tridoped near-infrared phosphors via multiple energy transfers

The solar spectral converters mainly involve the energy transfer between two codoped ions. Here, we report a series of Ce³⁺, Cr³⁺, Ln³⁺ (Ln = Yb, Nd, Er) tridoped Gd₃Sc₂Ga₃O₁₂ (GSGO) phosphors with improved absorption and increasing near infrared (NIR) emission. We observed the multiple energy transfer behaviors of Cr³⁺→Ln³⁺, Ce³⁺→Ln³⁺, Ce³⁺→Cr³⁺, and Ce³⁺→Cr³⁺→Ln³⁺ in GSGO matrix. When Ce³⁺ is introduced into the GSGO:Cr³⁺,Ln³⁺ phosphors, the energy transfer of Ce³⁺→Cr³⁺→Ln³⁺ has been realized by utilizing the energy transfer bridge of the Cr³⁺ ion. Consequently, GSGO:Ce³⁺,Cr³⁺,Ln³⁺ can absorb almost all ultraviolet and visible (UV–Vis) light and produce strong NIR light thanks to the synergistic effect of Ce³⁺→Cr³⁺→Ln³⁺, improving the photovoltaic conversion efficiency of c-Si solar cells. Our results show that the prepared GSGO:Ce³⁺,Cr³⁺,Ln³⁺ have the potential application in the solar spectral material for c-Si solar cells. Meanwhile, the strategy of multiple energy transfers gives a new way to design the spectral conversion materials with wider absorption for c-Si solar cells.     

Color-tunable up-conversion luminescence of Zn(AlxGa1-x)2O4:Yb3+,Tm3+,Er3+ powders

Color-tunable up-conversion powder phosphors Zn(Al_xGa_1-x)₂O₄: Yb³⁺,Tm³⁺,Er³⁺ were synthesized via high temperature solid-state reaction. Also, the morphological and structural characterization, up-conversion luminescent properties were all investigated in this paper. In brief, under the excitation of a 980?nm laser, all powders have same emission peaks containing blue emission at 477?nm (attributed to ¹G₄→³H₆ transition of Tm³⁺ ions), green emission at 526?nm and 549?nm (attributed to ²H_11/2→ ⁴I_15/2 and ⁴S_3/2→⁴I_15/2 transition of Er³⁺ ions respectively), red emission at about 659?nm and 694?nm (attributed to ⁴F_9/2→⁴I_15/2 transition of Er³⁺ ions and ³F₃→³H₆ transition of Tm³⁺ ions, respectively), which are not changed after the doping of Al³⁺ ions. However, the doping of Al³⁺ ions can enhance the up-conversion luminescent intensity and efficiency, while the emission color of as-prepared powder phosphors can be tunable by controlling the doping amount of Al³⁺ ions. Taking Zn(Al_0.5Ga_0.5)₂O₄:Yb,Tm,Er as the cut-off value, the emissions have clear blue-shift firstly and then show obvious red-shift with the increasing doping of Al³⁺ ions. Stated thus, pink emission in ZnAl₂O₄:Yb,Tm,Er, purplish pink emission in ZnGa₂O₄:Yb,Tm,Er and Zn(Al_0.9Ga_0.1)₂O₄:Yb,Tm,Er, purple emission in Zn(Al_0.1Ga_0.9)₂O₄:Yb,Tm,Er and Zn(Al_0.3Ga_0.7)₂O₄:Yb,Tm,Er, purplish blue emission in Zn(Al_0.7Ga_0.3)₂O₄:Yb,Tm,Er, blue emission in Zn(Al_0.5Ga_0.5)₂O₄:Yb,Tm,Er can be observed, which confirm the potential applications of as-prepared Zn(Al_xGa_1-x)₂O₄:Yb³⁺,Tm³⁺,Er³⁺ powder phosphors in luminous paint, infrared detection and so on.     

Upconversion Luminescence in Yb/Ln (Ln = Er,Tm) Doped Oxyhalide Glasses Containing CsPbBr3 Perovskite Nanocrystals

Yb/Ln (Ln=Er, Tm) doped TeO₂-based glasses containing CsPbBr₃ perovskite quantum dots were successfully prepared via in-situ glass crystallization. The nanocomposites yield typical green downshifting luminescence attributing to CsPbBr₃ exciton recombination under UV excitation, and produce Er³⁺ green, Er³⁺ red and Tm³⁺ blue upconversion emissions under 980 nm laser excitation. Impressively, specific Ln³⁺ emissions will be quenched with the precipitation of CsPbBr₃ in glass, enabling to finely tune upconversion emitting color. Spectroscopic characterizations evidence that the luminescence quenching is originated from non-radiative reabsorption effect induced by the precipitation of CsPbBr₃ rather than energy transfers from Ln³⁺ to CsPbBr₃. Finally, these nanocomposites are demonstrated to exhibit superior water resistance due to the effective protecting role of dense structural glass, particularly, about 95% downshifting luminescence of CsPbBr₃ and upconversion luminescence of Er³⁺ related to pristine ones are retained after immersing the products in water up to 30 days.     

Efficient red‐emitting phosphor of Eu3+‐activated (Na0.5Gd1.5)(TiSb)O7 derived via cation‐substitutions in Gd‐Pyrochlore

Rare‐earth (RE) titanate pyrochlore with perovskite‐layered structure is a well‐known engineering material in applied in many field. In this work, a red‐emitting phosphor of Gd_2?xNa_xTi_2?2xSb_2xO₇:Eu³⁺ (x = 0‐0.5) was developed via cation substitutions of (Sb⁵⁺→Ti⁴⁺) and (Na⁺→Gd³⁺) in Gd₂Ti₂O₇. The motivation is based on the fact that the introduction of cation‐disorders has been regarded to be an effective approach for improving the luminescent efficiency and thermal stability of RE‐activated materials. All the samples were synthesized via facile solid‐state reaction method. The morphology properties were measured via SEM and EDS measurements. The structural Rietveld refinement was performed to investigate the microstructure in pyrochlore lattices. The luminescence properties of Gd_2?xNa_xTi_2?2xSb_2xO₇:0.15Eu³⁺ (x = 0‐0.5) has a strict dependence on the cation substitution levels. The band energy of Gd₂Ti₂O₇ is 2.9 eV with a direct transition nature. The incorporation of Sb⁵⁺ and Na⁺ in the lattices moves the optical absorption to a longer wavelength. The cation disorder results in significant improvements of luminescence intensity, excitation efficiency in the blue region, longer emission lifetime and thermal stability.     

Highly efficient double perovskite (Bi,Gd)-codoped Cs2Ag0.4Na0.6InCl6 phosphors for warm white LEDs

Bi-doped lead-free double perovskite Cs₂Ag_0.6Na_0.4InCl₆ phosphors have been proved to be effective for use in white LEDs. To further improve the luminescence effect of this promising material, Bi³⁺/Gd³⁺ co-doped lead-free perovskite Cs₂Ag_0.6Na_0.4InCl₆ phosphors were successfully synthesized using the oil bath method. The quantum efficiency of orange-emitting Cs₂Ag_0.6Na_0.4InCl₆:1% Bi³⁺ was effectively improved from 79.72% to 87.57% by co-doping Gd³⁺ ions. White LEDs were prepared by mixing the synthesized phosphor Cs₂Ag_0.40Na_0.60InCl₆: 1%Bi³⁺,10%Gd³⁺ and commercial blue phosphor BaMgAl₁₀O₁₇:Eu²⁺. Excellent warm white LEDs with colour coordinates (0.3464, 0.3224), colour rendering index of 93.9, and colour temperature of 4818 K were produced. The results of this study provide a meaningful reference for new lead-free halide perovskite luminescent material systems.     

Broadband emission of single-phase Ca3Sc2Si3O12:Cr3+/Ln3+ (Ln = Nd,Yb, Ce) phosphors for novel solid-state light sources with visible to near-infrared light output

Novel single-component phosphors Ca₃Sc₂Si₃O₁₂:Cr³⁺/Ln³⁺ (CSS:Cr³⁺/Ln³⁺, Ln = Nd, Yb, Ce) with broadband near-infrared (NIR) emissions are synthesized. Their phase structure, photoluminescence properties and energy transfer between Cr³⁺ and Ln³⁺ ions are investigated. In the CSS host, Cr³⁺ ions occupy Sc³⁺ sites with low-field octahedral coordination, and thus show a broadband emission in 700–900 nm under the blue light excitation. Nd³⁺, Yb³⁺ and Ce³⁺ ions substitute Ca²⁺ sites in CSS, where Nd³⁺ and Yb³⁺ ions emit the NIR light in 900–1100 nm and their excitation efficiencies at ∼450 nm are greatly enhanced by utilizing the energy transfer from Cr³⁺ to Nd³⁺/Yb³⁺ ions. Ce³⁺ ions can further enhance the absorption of CSS:Cr³⁺/Ln³⁺ phosphors to the blue light, and at the same time contribute to the visible emission in 480–650 nm. Furthermore, CSS:Cr³⁺/Ln³⁺ phosphors show good thermal stability, and approximately 79% of the initial emission intensity is sustained at 150 °C. A phosphor-converted LED (pc-LED) prototype is fabricated by integrating the as-prepared phosphor CSS:Cr³⁺/Ln³⁺ and the commercial phosphor CaAlSiN₃:Eu²⁺ with the blue LED chip, showing a super broadband emission ranging from 450 to 1100 nm. This finding shows the potential application of CSS:Cr³⁺/Ln³⁺ phosphors in broadband NIR pc-LEDs or super broadband LED sources with visible to NIR light output.     

Synthesis and luminescence properties of broad band greenish-yellow emitting LnVO4:Bi3+ and (Ln1, Ln2)VO4:Bi3+ (Ln=La,Gd and Y) as down conversion phosphors

Ln_0.97VO₄:Bi_0.03³⁺ and (Ln1_0.5, Ln2_0.5)_0.97VO₄:Bi_0.03³⁺ (where Ln=La, Gd and Y) down conversion (DC) phosphors have been synthesized by a novel co-precipitation technique followed by heat-treatment. The influence of lanthanide host composition on crystal structure, luminescence and pertinent optical properties have been investigated by various spectroscopic techniques: XRD, SEM, FT-IR and PL. The produced phosphors have exhibited an intense greenish-yellow emission, upon UV-irradiation. A broad band excitation (280–350 nm) ascribed to ¹S₀→³P₁ and an intense broad greenish-yellow emission band (400–700 nm) attributed to ³P₁→¹S₀ transition, owing to Bi³⁺ ions have been observed. PL spectra revealed that the phosphors with Gd – containing host has exhibited a better luminescence among the others. The luminescence intensity sequence in descending order was as follows: GdVO₄→(Gd, Y)VO₄→(La, Gd)VO₄→(La, Y)VO₄→YVO₄→LaVO₄: Bi³⁺. These phosphors can efficiently convert the UV-photons in a broad range from 280–350 nm of feckless UV-rays into the absorbable visible emission for c-Si solar cells, based on the spectral matching phenomena. In view of the better fluorescence and pertinent optical properties, the phosphor with composition Gd_0.97VO₄: Bi_0.03³⁺ is a suggestible sought UV-absorbing spectral converter, in its thin transparent DC form for c-Si solar cells for better harvesting the solar energy.     

Synergistic engineering of doping and vacancy in K0.5Na0.5NbO3-based photochromic ceramics to boost luminescent readout ability

Photon-mode ultracapacity storage media made of inorganic photochromic luminescent materials are highly anticipated, and widely explored in the development of new optical data storage (ODS) technologies. Despite some recent breakthroughs, the optical storage capacity of defect-rich photochromics is still limited to low luminescent readout abilities. Herein, oxygen vacancy rich and bismuth doped K_0.5Na_0.5NbO₃:Eu³⁺ ceramics were designed, and synergistically boost the luminescence intensity, photochromic efficiency, and luminescent modulation properties, then effectively improving the luminescence readout abilities. The luminescence modulation ratio reaches up to 97.5% from 68.4% with the increase of oxygen vacancy concentrations due to hetero-valent bismuth doping, accompanied by high photochromic efficiency (35.7% from 21.9%) and excellent reproducibility. These results demonstrate that the synergistic engineering of oxygen vacancy and doping is a promising strategy for obtaining high-performance photochromic materials.     

Enhanced piezoelectricity and non-contact optical temperature sensing performance in Er3+ ion modified (K,Na)NbO3-based multifunctional ceramics

Rare earth ions doped ferroelectrics have attracted wide attentions due to their multifunction characteristics with both ferroelectric/piezoelectric properties and intriguing photoluminescence performance, which show great prospects for future multifunctional devices. In this work, a novel rare earth Er³⁺ ion modified potassium-sodium niobate (KNN) based ceramics were elaborately designed and prepared by the conventional solid-state reaction. The microstructure, phase structure, electric properties and photoluminescence performance of the Er³⁺ ion modified KNN-based ceramics were systematically investigated. Enhanced piezoelectricity (a considerable d₃₃ of exceeding 300 pC/N and a large d₃₃* up to 500 p.m./V) was realized through optimizing the substitution of BaZrO₃ by (Er_0.5,Na_0.5)ZrO₃. Both down-conversion and up-conversion photoluminescence emissions were detected in the optimal composition. The temperature-dependent upconversion emissions of the optimal Er³⁺ modified ceramic sample in the temperature range of 303–573K were verified to be applicable for non-contact optical temperature sensing with a maximum sensitivity S_a of 0.0028 K^-1 and a peak relative sensitivity S_r of 0.96% K⁻¹. Moreover, low-temperature sensing performance with a maximum S_r of 16.7% K⁻¹ in the temperature range of 80–280K was also presented based on the temperature-dependent down-conversion emissions. With both decent electrical properties and intriguing photoluminescence performance, the Er³⁺-modified KNN-based ferroelectrics exhibit good application potential in the future multifunctional optoelectronic devices.     

Thermal enhancement of up-conversion luminescence in Lu2W2.5Mo0.5O12: Er3+, Yb3+ phosphors

Lu₂W_2.5Mo_0.5O₁₂: Er³⁺/Yb³⁺ phosphors were synthesized through high temperature solid state method. Under 980 nm laser excitation, the Lu₂W_2.5Mo_0.5O₁₂: Er³⁺/Yb³⁺ compounds show thermal enhancement of up-conversion luminescence (UCL), which is attributed to the lattice contraction and distortion from negative thermal expansion (NTE) of Lu₂W_2.5Mo_0.5O₁₂ host enhancing the energy transfer of Yb³⁺ to Er³⁺, eliminating the energy transfer of Er³⁺ to Er³⁺ through Er³⁺ single-doped Lu₂W_2.5Mo_0.5O₁₂ phosphors without thermal enhancement of UCL. The green luminescence intensities at 693 K of the Lu_1.98-xW_2.5Mo_0.5O₁₂: 0.02Er³⁺, xYb³⁺ (x = 0.2, 0.3, 0.4) samples are 4.6, 4.3 and 7.0 times as that of 302 K, respectively. And through fluorescence intensity ratio (FIR) technique, the corresponding maximum absolute sensitivities are 0.00741, 0.00744 and 0.00723, respectively. The green monochromaticity of UCL spectra in Er³⁺/Yb³⁺ co-doped samples increase with the increasing of temperature, and the possible UCL mechanism with temperature was discussed. The results indicate that the Lu₂W_2.5Mo_0.5O₁₂: Er³⁺/Yb³⁺ phosphors can be applied at a high temperature as optical thermometer with a good green monochromaticity.     

Quick and accurate optical thermometry based on chemometrics model strategy in Na0.5Gd0.5TiO3: Er3+

Current optical temperature measurements are confined to materials with high sensitivity, while probes with fluorescence intensity ratio (FIR) sensitivity above 12% K⁻¹ still confront severe challenges. Therefore, we propose a novel strategy to obtain temperatures in one step from the temperature-dependent emission spectra by establishing a chemometrics model instead of calculating FIR values to improve temperature measurement accuracy of materials with a low FIR sensitivity. Here, Er³⁺-doped Na_0.5Gd_0.5TiO₃ with low sensitivity and the monotonic variation of FIR is used as a temperature sensing material. The temperature-dependent spectra are preprocessed by the moving average filter method, and the useful information is extracted from the preprocessed spectra by the synergy interval partial least squares (siPLS) algorithm. The extracted spectra are then combined with the partial least squares regression (PLSR), the principal component regression (PCR), the multiple linear regression (MLR), and the support vector machine regression (SVM) respectively to build chemometrics models. The errors between the predicted and the actual temperatures of different models are evaluated to verify the feasibility of the proposed strategy and to select the optimal temperature measurement model for Na_0.5Gd_0.5TiO₃: Er³⁺. The results show small errors and high correlation coefficients over 0.98 between the predicted and the actual temperatures of all models, indicating the applicability of the chemometrics model strategy in optical thermometry. Finally, the best model (a combination of siPLS-PCR + SVM) and the periodic testing of FIR with temperature may make Na_0.5Gd_0.5TiO₃: Er³⁺ a candidate for optical thermometer with rapidity, durability and accuracy.     

Tunable photoluminescence properties of Pr3+/Er3+-doped 0.93Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3–0.07BaTiO3 low-temperature sintered multifunctional ceramics

Pr³⁺/Er³⁺-doped 0.93Bi_0.5Na_0.5TiO₃–0.07BaTiO₃ ceramics have been fabricated at a low sintering temperature of 960°C using a sintering aid of Li₂CO₃. The effects of energy transfer between Pr³⁺and Er³⁺on their photoluminescence properties have been investigated. Our results reveal that the down-conversion emissions of Pr³⁺are weakened and the lifetimes are shortened by the co-doping of Er³⁺. As a result, when both Pr³⁺and Er³⁺are excited simultaneously, with increasing the concentration of Er³⁺, the green emissions from Er³⁺increase but the red emissions from Pr³⁺decrease. Moreover, the emission color of the ceramics can be reversibly changed between red, yellow and yellowish green by using excitation sources of different wavelengths. Strong up-conversion green emissions with short lifetimes arisen from Er³⁺have also been observed for the ceramics under the excitation of 980 nm. Owing to the Li₂CO₃ sintering aid, the low-temperature sintered ceramics also exhibit reasonably good ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties, and hence should be promising for multifunctional applications such as electro-optical coupling devices.