Energy transfer and upconversion of Sm3+ ions in YAlO3

Abstract

Sm3+ doped YAlO3 (YAP) single crystals were prepared by the micro-pulling down method. Emission spectra as well as luminescence decay curves for these crystals were recorded at temperatures ranging from 10 K to 300 K. Based on the low temperature spectra the energies of the Stark levels for several multiplets were determined. The fluorescence decay curves have been measured as a function of concentration and temperature and are found to exhibit single exponential nature at lowest concentration of 0.1 at.% but are strongly non-exponential at concentrations above 1 at.%. This concentration quenching of the Sm3+ ion emission was ascribed to resonant cross-relaxation. The non-exponential decay rates were successfully fitted to Inokuti-Hirayama model for s = 6 indicating that the nature of the energy transfer process among the Sm3+ ions is of electric dipole-dipole type. Cross-relaxation rates were experimentally determined as a function of activator concentration and used to evaluate and to model the decays. The critical distances and energy transfer microparameter for the transfer processes were given.After pulsed 925–975 nm infra-red excitation upconverted yellow-orange emission has been generated at room temperature in Sm3+:YAP crystals. Dynamics of the involved excited states have been analyzed and the responsible upconversion mechanism was proposed to be energy transfer.