Growth, structure and upconversion properties of Yb3+ and Er3+ co-doped Gd3Sc2Al3O12 crystal

Upconversion luminescent materials exhibit excellent near-infrared to visible conversion properties that make them crucial for optoelectronics , visible display devices, and biological labels. Herein, we report a high-quality Yb 3+ and Er 3+ co-doped Gd 3 Sc 2 Al 3 O 12 ( GSAG) single crystal which was grown successfully by the traditional Czochralski method with Er 3+ and Yb 3+ doping concentration of 1 at.% and 10 at.%, respectively. The structure parameters of the crystal were observed by the X-ray Rietveld refinement method. In addition, the transmission and upconversion emission properties of the crystal were analyzed at room temperature . The 940 nm excited upconversion energy transfer mechanism and dependence of the green-to-red upconversion intensity ratio ( I g/r ) on pump power were investigated. A dominant two-photon absorption process of the green and red upconversion emission bands were revealed in Yb,Er:GSAG crystal. The results indicate the crystal is a promising upconversion single crystalline material.