Advanced temperature sensing with Er³⁺/Yb³⁺ co-doped Ba₂GdV₃O₁₁ phosphors through upconversion luminescence

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Optics
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Optical thermometry offers non-contact temperature sensing crucial for various applications.
• Improving the accuracy of optical thermometers is an ongoing challenge.
• Novel materials and strategies are needed to enhance thermometric properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate Er³⁺/Yb³⁺ co-doped Ba₂GdV₃O₁₁ phosphors for optical temperature sensing.
• To apply four-mode luminescence thermometry techniques for precise temperature measurements.
• To evaluate the thermometric performance of these phosphors in the 298-573 K range.

Main Methods:

• Sol-gel synthesis of Er³⁺/Yb³⁺ co-doped Ba₂GdV₃O₁₁ phosphors.
• Utilizing upconversion (UC) luminescence under 980 nm or 1550 nm excitation.
• Analyzing intensity ratios of thermally coupled levels (TCELs) and non-thermally coupled levels (NTCELs), and emission lifetimes for temperature sensing.

Main Results:

• Achieved yellow-green UC luminescence from the phosphors.
• Demonstrated temperature sensing capabilities using UC emissions and lifetimes.
• Reported relative sensitivity (Sr) values up to 1.1% K^-1 for TCELs and 5.0% μs K^-1 for emission lifetimes.
• Observed sub-degree thermal resolution, indicating high accuracy.

Conclusions:

• Er³⁺/Yb³⁺ co-doped Ba₂GdV₃O₁₁ phosphors are promising for optical thermometry.
• The four-mode luminescence thermometry approach enhances sensor precision.
• These findings offer a new direction for developing advanced optical temperature sensing technologies.