Multicolor up-conversion emissions of Tm3+/Er3+/Yb3+ tri-doped YF3 phosphors

Tm3+/Er3+/Yb3+ tri-doped yttrium fluoride (YF3) phosphors were prepared by a facile hydrothermal method. X-ray topographic analysis found that the phosphors were crystallized products. Their sizes and morphologies were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM, Hitachi S-4800), which indicated that most of the YF3 phosphors were hundreds of nanometers in size. Up-conversion (UC) spectra were recorded under 980-nm diode laser excitation at room temperature with a fluorescence spectrometer (Hitachi F-4500). Plenty of UC emissions of Tm3+ and Er3+ were observed from ultraviolet to red. For Tm3+ ions, a five-photon process (approximately 291 nm and approximately 347 nm), a four-photon process (approximately 362 nm and approximately 452 nm), and a three-photon process (approximately 475 nm) were identified in the UC spectra. The UC emissions from the Er3+ were: approximately 380 nm, approximately 408 nm, approximately 521 nm, approximately 537 nm, and approximately 652 nm. Therefore, cyan-white light can be observed by the naked eye at 980-nm excitation, even under low excitation power density. By comparing the UC spectra of the phosphors annealed at different temperatures, we found that the intensity of the UC luminescence increased as annealing temperature increased. Furthermore, the spectral dependencies on Tm3+ doped concentrations were studied. The energy transfer processes and fluorescence dynamics in the tri-doped system are currently being investigated.