Multiple Temperature-Sensing Behavior of Green and Red Upconversion Emissions from Stark Sublevels of Er3+

Upconversion luminescence properties from the emissions of Stark sublevels of Er3+ were investigated in Er3+-Yb3+-Mo6+-codoped TiO2 phosphors in this study. According to the energy levels split from Er3+, green and red emissions from the transitions of four coupled energy levels, 2H11/2(I)/2H11/2(II), 4S3/2(I)/4S3/2(II), 4F9/2(I)/4F9/2(II), and 2H11/2(I) + 2H11/2(II)/4S3/2(I) + 4S3/2(II), were observed under 976 nm laser diode excitation. By utilizing the fluorescence intensity ratio (FIR) technique, temperature-dependent upconversion emissions from these four coupled energy levels were analyzed at length. The optical temperature-sensing behaviors of sensing sensitivity, measurement error, and operating temperature for the four coupled energy levels are discussed, all of which are closely related to the energy gap of the coupled energy levels, FIR value, and luminescence intensity. Experimental results suggest that Er3+-Yb3+-Mo6+-codoped TiO2 phosphor with four pairs of energy levels coupled by Stark sublevels provides a new and effective route to realize multiple optical temperature-sensing through a wide range of temperatures in an independent system.