Continuous spatial field confocal thermometry using lanthanide doped tellurite glass

Area of Science:

• Optical Sensing
• Materials Science
• Thermometry

Background:

• Precise measurement of microscopic temperature variances is crucial for advancements in optical sensing.
• Existing methods often lack the required spatial or temporal resolution for micro-scale thermal analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel confocal approach for optically measuring temperature with high precision.
• To achieve micron-scale localization and fast temporal resolution for temperature mapping.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing the fluorescence of erbium:ytterbium doped tellurite glass for temperature sensing.
• Employing a confocal microscopy setup to image temperature variations over a 200 µm x 200 µm field of view.
• Achieving sub-second temporal resolution for dynamic thermal monitoring.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated micron-scale temperature imaging with high spatial and temporal resolution.
• Successfully monitored real-time evaporative cooling of a water droplet.
• Measured a net temperature change of 6.97 K ± 0.03 K due to evaporative cooling.

Conclusions:

• The confocal approach offers a powerful tool for micro-scale thermometry.
• This method enables real-time temperature measurements with unprecedented resolution.
• Potential applications in various fields requiring precise micro-scale thermal analysis.