The effect of temperature on green and red upconversion emissions of LiYF4:20Yb3+, 1Ho3+ and its application for temperature sensing

Optical thermometry is a non-contact temperature detective technique that has high sensitivity and rapid response. In present work, we developed LiYF 4 :20Yb 3+ , 1Ho 3+ (mol%) micro octahedrons obtained by a modified hydrothermal method . The temperature dependent up-conversion (UC) emission and luminescence decays for LiYF 4 :20Yb 3+ , 1Ho 3+ under 976 nm LD excitation with various power density were studied systematically in the temperature range from 100 K to 500 K. The green and red UC emissions are sensitive to the sample temperature whereas the excitation power density in the studied temperature ranges plays a negligible role on the red to green UC emissions ratio. The non-contact optical temperature sensing behaviors were investigated based on the fluorescence intensity ratio (FIR) of red (R3 + R4) and green (G3) at temperature from 100 K to 500 K, which are ascribed to non-thermally coupled levels of Ho 3+ : 5 F 5 and 5 F 4 , respectively. The maximum absolute sensitivity (S a ) of 0.0477 K −1 and maximum relative sensitivity (S r ) of 0.0129 K −1 at the temperature range of 100–500 K based on FIR of (R3 + R4)/G3 were found. The mechanism of temperature effect on UC emission was discussed. The heating and cooling cycle test indicates the high thermal stability of LiYF 4 :20Yb 3+ , 1Ho 3+ . These results imply the LiYF 4 :20Yb, 1Ho has potential application in ratiometric thermometers and temperature sensing devices.