White upconversion emission in Li+/Yb3+/Tm3+/Er3+-doped Gd6MoO12 phosphors

The Yb3+/Er3+/Tm3+-doped Gd6MoO12 phosphors and Li+/Yb3+/Er3+/Tm3+-doped Gd6MoO12 phosphors were synthesized by the high-temperature solid-state method. Under 980 nm laser diode excitation, the Gd6MoO12:Li+/Yb3+/Er3+/Tm3+ phosphors show the white upconversion (UC) emission at the pump power of 200 mW/cm2, which is composed of the blue (1G4→3H6 of Tm3+), green (2H11/2, 4S3/2→4I15/2 of Er3+), and red (4F9/2→4I15/2 of Er3+) UC emissions. The calculated CIE color coordinates of Gd6MoO12:Tm3+/Er3+/Yb3+ phosphors changed from blue area to white area after the Li+ ion doping. Then, the effect of Li+ ions mixing on the emission was analysed. The relative UC mechanisms and properties were also investigated and proposed based on their spectral. The additional mixed Li+ ions enhanced the red and green upconversion emission largely in this phosphor and then formed the white UC emission, which indicated that the Li+ is a promising dopant for tuning white light luminescence in some case.