Up-conversion emission in triply-doped Ho3+/Yb3+/Tm3+ KGd(WO4)2 single crystals

Detailed spectroscopic studies of the triply doped KGd(WO4)(2):Ho3+/Yb3+/Tm3+ single crystals (which exhibit multicolor up-conversion fluorescence) are reported for the first time. The absorption spectra of crystals were measured at 10 and 300 K; the room temperature luminescence spectra were excited at 980 nm wavelength. The dependence of the intensity of luminescence on the excitation power for three different concentration of Ho3+, Yb3+ and Tm3+ ions was investigated. Efficient green and red up-converted luminescence of Ho3+ ions and weak blue up-conversion luminescence of Tm3+ ions were observed in spectra. The red emission of Ho3+ ions is more intensive than their green emission. Dependence of the up-conversion luminescence intensity on the excitation power and impurities concentration was also studied; the number of phonon needed for efficient up-conversion was determined for each case. All possible energy transfer processes between different pairs of the impurity ions' energy levels are also discussed. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.