Effects of Sm3+ doping on the temperature-dependent fluorescence intensity ratio of Er3+, Sm3+-co doped-yttria stabilized zirconia

Er3+, Sm3+ co-doped tetragonal yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) was prepared with reverse-coprecipitation and sintered at 1200 °C. The effects of Sm3+ ions on the fluorescence intensity ratio (FIR) of the two characteristic emissions bands from Er3+ ions were studied in the temperature range of 123–523 K. The FIR-temperature curves obtained were used for sensing of low-temperature. The critical temperature at which the sensitivity of the FIR-temperature curves reaches maximum was shifted from 461 to 406 K with increasing amount of Sm3+. The introduction of Sm3+ gave rise to smaller energy gap between the 2H11/2 and 4S3/2 levels of Er3+, leading to thermal quenching to the luminescence from Er3+ at lower temperatures.

► Low temperature sensing was achieved in Er3+Sm3+-7YSZ in the temperature range of 123–523 K.
► The critical temperature of FIR-T curves was shifted from 461 to 406 K with the amount of Sm3+.
► The introduction of Sm3+ gave rise to smaller energy gap between the 2H11/2 and 4S3/2 levels of Er3+.