Thermodynamics and Kinetics Accounting for Antithermal Quenching of Luminescence in Sc2(MoO4)3: Yb/Er: Perspective beyond Negative Thermal Expansion

Abstract

Defects are common in inorganic materials and not static upon annealing of the heat effect. Antithermal quenching of luminescence in phosphors may be ascribed to the migration of defects and/or ions, which has not been well-studied. Herein, we investigate the antithermal quenching mechanism of upconversion luminescence in Sc2(MoO4)3: 9%Yb1%Er with negative thermal expansion via a fresh perspective on thermodynamics and kinetics, concerning the thermally activated movement of defects and/or ions. Our results reveal a second-order phase transition taking place at ∼573 K induced by oxide-ion migration. The resulting variation of the thermodynamics and kinetics of the host lattice owing to the thermally induced oxide-ion movement contributes to a more suppressed nonradiative decay rate. The dynamic defects no longer act as quenching centers with regard to the time scale during which they stay nearby the Yb3+/Er3+ site in our proposed model. This research opens an avenue for understanding the antithermal quenching mechanism of luminescence via thermodynamics and kinetics.