Upconversion of Er3+ Ions in LiKGdF5∶Er3+, Dy3+ Single Crystal Produced by Infrared and Green Laser

The upconversion fluorescence of Er3 ions in LiKGdF5∶Er3 , Dy3 single crystal was studied under 785, 514.5, and 980 nm laser excitation. With the laser excitation set at 785 nm, strong green (centered at 543 nm) upconversion emissions, as well as weak red (651 nm), violet (406 nm), and blue (470 nm) upconversion emissions were obtained. With 514.5 nm laser excitation, violet (406 nm) and blue (470 nm) upconversion emissions were observed. Under 980 nm laser excitation, strong green (543 nm) and weak red (651) emissions were also obtained. The laser power dependence of the upconverted emissions was investigated to understand the upconversion mechanism. The excited state absorption (ESA) and the energy transfer (ET) processes were discussed as the possible mechanisms for all upconversion emissions.     

Energy transfer and frequency upconversion in Er~（3＋）-Yb~（3＋） codoped oxy-fluoro-tungstosilicate glasses

Er3+-Yb3+ codoped oxy-fluoro-tungstosilicate glasses with infrared-to-visible frequency upconversion luminescence were prepared by melting quenching in air.The effects of Er3+ doping on the optical properties of the samples were measured by means of techniques such as optical absorption spectra and photoluminescence spectra.The results showed that intense green and red signals centered at 546 and 665 nm,corresponding to the 4S3/2 → 4I15/2 and 4F9/2 → 4I15/2 transitions of Er3+ by a multiphoton stepwise phonon-assisted excited-state absorption process,respectively,were simultaneously observed by exciting the samples with a diode laser operating at 980 nm at room temperature.The upconversion process was found very sensitive to Er3+ content at a constant Yb2O3 content of 5 mol.%.With the increase of Er3+ content from 0.5% to 1.5%,the upconversion intensity increased gradually.Further increasing of Er3+ content to 3.0% resulted in a significant fluorescence quenching.Moreover,the possible upconversion mechanisms were discussed based on the energy-matching conditions and the quadratic dependence on excitation power.     

Upconversion Luminescent Properties of YVO4:Yb3+, Er3+ Nano-Powder by Sol-Gel Method

YVO4:Yb3 , Er3 nano-sized upconversion luminescent powder was prepared by sol-gel method in the presence of citric acid. It was characterized by XRD, TEM and emission spectrum. The results show that the grain size of YVO4:Yb3 , Er3 is under 100 nm, and its grain size and upconversion luminescent intensity all increase with roasting temperature raises. Under 980 nm laser diode(LD) excitation, two strong green emissions that centered around 523 and 551 nm were observed with naked eyes at room temperature, corresponding to the 2H11/2→4I15/2 and 4S3/2→4I15/2 transitions of Er3 , respectively. According to the dependence of green upconversion emission intensity on excitation power, it can be concluded that these two kinds of green emissions all belong to two-photon process.     

Upconversion of Er^3＋ Ions in LiKGdF5 ： Er^3＋ , Dy^3＋ Single Crystal Produced by Infrared and Green Laser

The upconversion fluorescence of Er^3＋ ions in LiKGdF5 ： Er^3＋, Dy^3＋ single crystal was studied under 785, 514.5, and 980 nm laser excitation. With the laser excitation set at 785 nm, strong green （centered at 543 nm） upconversion emissions, as well as weak red （651 nm）, violet （406 nm）, and blue （470 nm） upconversion emissions were obtained. With 514.5 nm laser excitation, violet （406 nm） and blue （470 nm） upconversion emissions were observed. Under 980 nm laser excitation, strong green （543 nm） and weak red （651） emissions were also obtained. The laser power dependence of the upconverted emissions was investigated to understand the upconversion mechanism. The excited state absorption （ESA） and the energy transfer （ET） processes were discussed as the possible mechanisms for all upconversion emissions.     

Recent progress on upconversion luminescence enhancement in rare-earth doped transparent glass-ceramics

The upconversion(UC) of the rare earth doped glass-ceramics has been extensively investigated due to their potential applications in many fields, such as color display, high density memories, optical data storage, sensor and energy solar cell, etc. Many series of them, especially the oxyfluorides glasses containing Ba2 LaF 7 nanocrystals were studied in this review work, due to the thermal and mechanical toughness, high optical transmittance from the ultraviolet to the infrared regions, and a low nonlinear refractive index compared to the other commercial laser glasses. Moreover, the energy transfer(ET) between the rare earth ions and transition metals plays an important role in the upconversion process. The cooperative ET has been researched very activly in UC glasses due to applications in the fields of solar cells, such as in the Er/Yb, Tm/Yb, Tb/Yb, Tb/Er/Yb and Tm/Er/Yb couples. The present article reviews on the recent progress made on:(i) upconversion materials with fluoride microcrystals in glasses and the mechanisms involved, including the UC in double and tri-dopant RE ions activated fluoride microcrystal, energy transfer process; and(ii) the effect of the metal Mn and nanoparticles of Au, Ag, Cu on the enhancement of UC emissions. Discussions have also been made on materials, material synthesis, the structural and emission properties of glass-ceramics. Additionally, the conversion efficiency is still a challenge for the spectra conversion materials and application; challenge and future advances have also been demonstrated.     

NaYF4:Yb,Er材料的制备及其上转换发光性能

通过沉淀法制备Yb3+和Er3+共掺的NaYF4上转换发光材料,考察了主要制备工艺条件对材料上转换发光性能的影响,并探讨了其上转换发光的机理。利用x射线衍射(XRD)、透射电镜(TEM)、荧光光谱仪对样品进行了表征。结果表明,Yb3+和Er3+的掺杂浓度分别15%(摩尔分数,下同)、3%,焙烧温度为600℃时可得到发光性能较好的六方相NaYF4:Yb,Er上转换材料,其主要上转换途径是Yb3+和Er3+之间的能量转移,且Er3+的红、绿光发射均为双光子过程。     

Up-conversion luminescence of Tm3+/Yb3+ co-doped oxy-fluoride glasses

The oxy-fluorosilicate glasses co-doped with Yb3+/Tm3+ were prepared.The absorption spectra were recorded.The Tm3+ ion showed two absorption bands,with one at 774 nm due to 1G4→3H6 transition and the other at 667 nm due to 1G4→3F4 transition.The energy transfer between Tm3+ ion and Yb3+ ion and the up-conversion fluorescence of Tm3+ ion were investigated using 980 nm LD excitation.The results showed that the blue and red emissions were three-photon absorption processes corresponding with 1G4→3H6 and 1G4→3F4...     

Fabrication and gain performance of Er3+/Yb3+-codoped tellurite glass fiber

Er3+/Yb3+-codoped TeO2-ZnO-BaO-La2O3 tellurite glass fiber was fabricated by rotation and rod-in-tube technologies. The ther-mal stability and optical refractive index of the core and cladding glasses were determined by DTA and optical coupler, respectively. The av-erage background loss of tellurite glass fiber was 1.8 dB/m at 1310 nm. Optical microscopy and field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) were used to study structural characteristics of preforms and optical fibers. The main loss of tellurite glass fiber could be attributed to scatter centre due to core-cladding interface defects. The amplifier performance of tellurite glass fiber was investigated by pumping with 980 nm laser diode (LD). The gain coefficient and maximum signal gain were 0.21 dB/mW and 10 dB, respectively, for a pumping power of 120 mW. Gains exceeding 5 dB were obtained over 30 um bandwidth from 1535 to 1565 nm. The minimum noise figure was 4.8 dB at 1557 um.     

Upconversion luminescence of Y2O3:Er3+, Yb3+ nanoparticles prepared by a homogeneous precipitation method

Y2O3: Er3 , Yb3 nanoparticles were synthesized by a homogeneous precipitation method without and with different concentrations of EDTA 2Na. Upconversion luminescence spectra of the samples were studied under 980 nm laser excitation. The results of XRD showed that the obtained Y2O3:Er3 ,Yb3 nanoparticles were of a cubic structure. The average crystallite sizes calculated were in the range of 28-40 nm. Green and red upconversion emission were observed, and attributed to 2H11/ 2,4S3/ 2→4I15/ 2 and 4F9/ 2→4I15/2 transitions of the Er3 ion, respectively. The ratio of the intensity of green emission to that of red emission drastically changed with a change in the EDTA 2Na concentration. In the sample synthesized without EDTA, the relative intensity of the green emission was weaker than that of the red emission. The relative intensities of green emission increased with the increased amount of EDTA 2Na used. The possible upconversion luminescence mechanisms were discussed.     

Upconversion Luminescence Properties of Ho^3＋, Tm^3＋, Yb^3＋ Co-Doped Nanocrystal NaYF4 Synthesized by Hydrothermal Method

Nanocrystal of upconversion （UC） phosphor Ho^3＋, Tm^3＋ , and Yb^3＋ co-doped NaYF4 was prepared by the hydrothermal method in the presence of the complexing agent EDTA. Under 980 nm diode laser excitation, the impact of different concentrations of Ho^3＋ ion on the UC luminescence intensity was discussed. The law of luminescence intensity versus pump power shows that the 474 nm blue emission, 538 nm green emission, and 642 nm red emission are all due to the two-photon process, while the 450 nm blue emission is a three-photon process. The UC mechanism and processes were also analyzed. The sample was characterized by transmission electron microscopy （TEM） and X-ray diffraction （XRD）. The result shows that Ho^3＋ ,Tm^3＋ , and Yb^3＋ co-doped NaYF4 prepared by the hydrothermal method exhibits a hexagonal nanocrystal.     

Upconversion luminescence ofNaYF4：Yb,Er nanocrystals with high uniformity

The NaYF4：Yb,Er nanocrystals were synthesized via the thermal decomposition ot metal oleate precursors, lhe nanocrys- tals in hexagonal structure were highly uniform and in size of 25 nm. The bright upconversion luminescence was observed under the excitation of 980 nm laser and the upeonversion emission spectra were investigated at different pump powers. The emission intensity ratio of red light to green light linearly increased with pump power increasing. This result indicated that there existed a large threshold power of saturation pump for the first excitation state in NaYFa：Yb,Er nanocrystals comparing to that in bulk material.     

Spectroscopic investigations on Er3+/Yb3+-doped oxyfluoride glass ceramics containing YOF nanocrystals

Spectroscopic properties of Er3+/Yb3+-doped transparent oxyfluoride borosilicate glass ceramics containing YOF nanocrystals were systematically investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed the formation of YOF nanocrystals in the glassy matrix. Based on the Judd-Ofelt theory, the intensity parameters Ωi (i=2, 4, 6), spontaneous emission probability, radiative lifetime, radiative quantum efficiency and the effective emission bandwidth were investigated. The upconversion luminescence intensity of Er3+ ions in the glass ceramics increased significantly with the increasing crystallization temperature. The transition mechanisms of the green and red upconversion luminescence were ascribed to a two-photon process, and the blue upconversion luminescence was a three-photon absorption process.     

Polarized spectral analysis of Er3+ ions in Er3+/yb3+:LiLa(MoO4)2 crystal

Optical characteristics and upconversion dynamics of Er3+ in Er3+/Yb3+:LiLa(MoO4)2 crystals were investigated. The absorption spectra, fluorescence spectra and the fluorescence decay curves were analyzed at room temperature. The infrared emission at 1538 nm and visible emissions at 520–569 and 640–670 nm, corresponding to 2H11/2,4S3/2→4I15/2 and 4F9/2→4I15/2 transitions of Er3+ ions, were simultaneously observed in Er3+/Yb3+:LiLa(MoO4)2 crystals under 976 nm excitation at room temperature. The maximal emission cross-section near 1530 nm for π-polarization was 0.63×10–20 cm2 and the measured lifetime of 4I13/2 was 4.88 ms. The upconversion process was involved in sequential two-phonon processes, either the energy transfer from Yb3+ ions or by the excited state absorption.     

Synthesis and Upconversion Luminescence of LaF3 ： Yb^3＋ , Er^＋/SiO2 Core/Shell Microcrystals

LaF3：Yb^3＋ , Er^＋ microcrystals were synthesized by a hydrothermal method, and then, the LaF3： Yb^3＋ , Er^＋ microcrystals were coated with silica. Phase identification of LaF3： Yb^3＋ , Er^＋ and LaF3： Yb^3＋ , Er^＋/SiO2 was performed via XRD. The TEM image showed that the size of LaF3： Yb^3＋ , Er^＋ was 150 nm and LaF3： Yb^3＋ , Er^＋/SiO2 presented clearly a core/shell structure with 20 nm shell thickness. The upconversion spectra of LaF3： Yb^3＋ , Er^＋ and LaF3： Yb^3＋ , Er^＋/SiO2 in solid state and in ethanol were studied with a 980 nm diode laser as the excitation source. The upconversion spectra showed that the silica shell had little effect on the properties of fluorescence of the LaF3：Yb^3＋ , Er^＋ microcrystals. At the same time, the green luminescence photo of LaF3： Yb3＋, Er3＋/SiO2 in the PBS buffer was obtained, which indicated that the LaF3： Yb^3＋ , Er^＋/SiO2 could be used in biological applications.     

Synthesis of well oil-dispersible BaYF₅:Yb³⁺/Er³⁺ nanocrystals with green upconversion fluorescence

Nearly monodisperse,regular-shaped and well oil-dispersible tetragonal BaYF5:0.2Yb3+/0.02Er3+ nanocrystals(NCs) were synthesized in water-ethanol-oleic acid-sodium oleate system.The as-obtained NCs exhibited bright upconversion(UC) fluorescence under the 980 nm excitation.Blue(2H9/2-4I15/2),green((2H11/2,4S3/2)-4I15/2) and red(4F9/2-4I15/2) transitions were observed.The results indicated that the relative intensity of green to red increased gradually with increasing power density,which were seldom in the previous work.Therefore,the UC properties and mechanism were studied in detail.     

Study on the green upconversion saturation in Er3+ doped oxyfluoride tellurite glass

The upconversion emission spectra of Er3+ doped oxyfluoride tellurite glasses excited by 808 nm laser diode (LD) were measured. The dependence of 550 nm upconversion emission on the excitation intensity was analyzed. Quadratic intensity dependence was only ob-served at weak excitation intensity. With increasing the excitation intensity, saturation was turned out. The experimental results were fitted to a model based on the rate equations.     

Upconversion properties of Y2O3：Er films prepared by sol-gel method

Y2O3:Er3+ films were prepared by a simple sol-gel process. The structural properties of Y2O3:Er3+ flints were characterized with X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy. The results indicated that the Y2O3:Er3+ f'rims might have high upconversion efficiency because of their low vibrational energy. Under 785 and 980 nm laser excitation, the samples showed green (2H11/2→4I15/2, 4S3/2→4I15/2) and red (4F9/2→4I15/2) upconversion emissions. The upconversion mechanisms were stud-led in detail through laser power dependence. Excited state absorption and energy transfer process were discussed as possible upconversion mechanisms. The cross relaxation process in Er3+ was also investigated.     

Luminescence properties of Tm^3＋/Yb^3＋, Er^3＋/Yb^3＋ and Ho^3＋/Yb^3＋ activated calcium tungstate

CaWO4 phosphor activated by the Tm3+/Yb3+,Er3+/Yb3+ and Ho3+/Yb3+ ions were synthesized by a traditional high-temperature solid-state method.The crystal structures and morphologies of the products were characterized by X-ray powders diffraction method(XRD) ,infrared spectra(FT-IR) and scanning electron microscopy(SEM) .The samples were found to show up-conversion luminescence properties.CaWO4 doped with Tm3+/Yb3+ showed blue luminescence characteristic of Tm(III) ion in the range of 460-485 nm,corresponding to the 1G4→3H6 electronic transition.CaWO4 doped with Er3+/Yb3+ showed strong green luminescence at 510-565 nm(2H11/2,4S3/2→4I15/2) and weak red luminescence at 640-685 nm(4F9/2→4I15/2) of Er(III) ion.CaWO4 doped with Ho3+/Yb3+ phosphor emitted green luminescence at 525-560 nm(5S2,5F4→5I8) and red luminescence at 630-670 nm(5F5→5I8) and at 730-770 nm(5S2,5F4→5I7) ,which is the characteristic of Ho(III) ion.     

Green, orange, and red upconversion luminescence in Nd3+/Yb3+: Cs2NaGdCl6 powders under 785 nm laser excitation

Nd3+:Cs2NaGdCl6 and Nd3+, Yb3+:Cs2NaGdCl6 polycrystalline powder samples were prepared by Morss method E. Under 785 nm semiconductor laser pumping, the upconversion luminescence of Nd3+ ions in Cs2NaGdCl6 was investigated at room temperature, and three upconversion emissions near 538 nm (Green), 603 nm (Grange), and 675 nm (Red) were observed and assigned to 4G7/2→4I9/2, (4G7/2→4I11/2; 4G5/2→4I9/2), and (4G7/2→4I13/2; 4G5/2→4I11/2), respectively. The dependences of these upconverted emissions on laser power and Nd3+ ion con-eentration were investigated, to explore the upconversion mechanism. The effect of doping Yb3+ ions on the upconversion luminescence of Nd3+ in Cs2NaGdCl6 was also studied under 785 nm laser excitation. The energy transfer processes were discussed as the possible mecha-nism for the above upconversion emissions.     

Mechanism of upconversion emission enhancement in Y_3Al_5O_（12）：Er~（3＋）/Li~＋ powders

Er3+ and Li+ codoped Y3Al5O12(YAG) powders were prepared for a systematic investigation of their upconversion emissions.X-ray diffraction(XRD),upconversion emission spectra,pump power dependence,FT-IR spectra and decay time were studied to characterize the samples.With Li+ doping,the upconversion emission intensity of Er3+ doped YAG powders was obviously enhanced,accompanied with an increase in the ratio of green to red intensity.The enhancement of emission intensity could be attributed to two mechanisms:on...