Emission properties of hydrothermal Yb(3+), Er(3+) and Yb(3+), Tm(3+)-codoped Lu2O3 nanorods: upconversion, cathodoluminescence and assessment of waveguide behavior

Yb(3+) and Ln(3+) (Ln(3+) = Er(3+) or Tm(3+)) codoped Lu(2)O(3) nanorods with cubic Ia3 symmetry have been prepared by low temperature hydrothermal procedures, and their luminescence properties and waveguide behavior analyzed by means of scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM). Room temperature upconversion (UC) under excitation at 980 nm and cathodoluminescence (CL) spectra were studied as a function of the Yb(+) concentration in the prepared nanorods. UC spectra revealed the strong development of Er(3+) (4)F(9/2) → (4)I(15/2) (red) and Tm(3+) (1)G(4) → (3)H(6) (blue) bands, which became the pre-eminent and even unique emissions for corresponding nanorods with the higher Yb(3+) concentration. Favored by the presence of large phonons in current nanorods, UC mechanisms that privilege the population of (4)F(9/2) and (1)G(4) emitting levels through phonon-assisted energy transfer and non-radiative relaxations account for these observed UC luminescence features. CL spectra show much more moderate development of the intensity ratio between the Er(3+) (4)F(9/2) → (4)I(15/2) (red) and (2)H(11/2), (4)S(3/2) → (4)I(15/2) (green) emissions with the increase in the Yb(3+) content, while for Yb(3+), Tm(3+)-codoped Lu(2)O(3) nanorods the dominant CL emission is Tm(3+) (1)D(2) → (3)F(4) (deep-blue). Uniform light emission along Yb(3+), Er(3+)-codoped Lu(2)O(3) rods has been observed by using SNOM photoluminescence images; however, the rods seem to be too thin for propagation of light.