Vaaisible upconversion emission of Er 3+-doped and Er 3+/Yb 3+-codoped LiInO 2

Abstract

Lithium-indium oxide is a high-density (5. 9 g·cm -3), wide band-gap semiconductor with promising applications for scintillating detection of solar neutrinos as well as for efficient phosphorescence when doped with Er 3+ or Sm 3+ ions. In this report, we demonstrate visible upconversion emission of Er 3+-doped LiInO 2 synthesized by a simple solid-state chemistry procedure and discuss mechanisms responsible for pumping the Er 3+ ions to upper levels. Intense upconversion emission is observed in the green and red spectral regions under near-infrared excitation, and it is greatly enhanced by co-doping with Yb 3+ ions. We also examined the upconversion intensity change as a function of temperature, and, consequently, possible applications of this material as a low-temperature sensor. © 2012 Versita Warsaw and Springer-Verlag Wien.