Upconversion Properties of LiNbO3 Single Crystals Co-doped with Ho and Yb

摘要

The IR-to-visible upconversion fluorescent crystals, Yb：Ho：LiN-bO3, with a constant Ho^3＋ concentration （0.1 mol%） and different doping concentrations of Yb^3＋ （0.5, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0 tool%） are synthesized by Czochralski method in air atmosphere. X-ray diffraction shows that the obtained crystal is a single phase of LiNbO3 and the rare-earth ions occupied the Li^＋ or Nb^5＋ sites instead of the interstitial sites. Under 980 nm excitation, green and red emission bands due to the Ho^3＋ （^5S2, ^5F4）/^5I8 and Ho^3＋ ^5F5/^5I8 energy transitions are observed in these samples, respectively. Power dependence studies on these samples with different Yb^3＋ dopant concentrations indicate that the red and green emissions are based on a two-photon process. The intensities of the red and green upconversion fluorescence increase with Yb3＋ ions of 0-2.0 mol% because of an increased Yb^3＋ sensitization, but decrease at higher concentrations owing to the back-energy transfer between the Yb^3＋ and Ho^3＋ ions.