Enhanced ultraviolet up-conversion emissions of Tm³⁺/Yb³⁺ codoped YF₃ nanocrystals

Tm³⁺/Yb³⁺ codoped rod-like YF₃ nanocrystals were synthesized through a facile hydrothermal method. After annealing in an argon atmosphere, the nanocrystals emitted bright blue and intense ultraviolet (UV) light under a 980-nm continuous wave diode laser excitation. Up-conversion emissions centered at ∼291 nm (¹I₆ → ³H₆), ∼347 nm (¹I₆ → ³F₄), ∼362 nm (¹D₂ → ³H₆), ∼452 nm (¹D₂ → ³F₄), ∼476 nm (¹G₄ → ³H₆), ∼642 nm (¹G₄ → ³F₄), and ∼805 nm (³H₄ → ³H₆) were recorded using a fluorescence spectrophotometer. Especially, enhanced UV emissions were studied by changing Yb³⁺/Tm³⁺ doping concentrations, the annealing temperatures, and the excitation power densities. A possible mechanism, energy transfer-cross relaxation-energy transfer (ET-CR-ET), was proposed based on a simple rate-equation model to elucidate the process of the enhanced UV emissions.