Abstract

In this Letter, I present a versatile strategy to enhance the near-infrared to near-infrared (NIR-to-NIR) upconversion luminescence from sub-10-nm ultra-small ${\mathrm{LaF}}_3\text{:}{\mathrm{Yb}}^{3+}/{\mathrm{Tm}}^{3+}$ colloidal nanoparticles through lanthanide doping under 980 nm laser excitation. It is interesting that the NIR-to-NIR upconversion emission at 801 nm of ${\mathrm{LaF}}_3\text{:}{\mathrm{Yb}}^{3+}/{\mathrm{Tm}}^{3+}$ nanoparticles can be improved by increasing the ${\mathrm{Tm}}^{3+}$ doping concentration or by introducing another lanthanide activator (${\mathrm{Er}}^{3+}$ or ${\mathrm{Ho}}^{3+}$) as a sensitizer. The luminescence enhancement effect showed a strong dependence on the doping concentrations of activator ions (${\mathrm{Tm}}^{3+}$, ${\mathrm{Er}}^{3+}$, or ${\mathrm{Ho}}^{3+}$). Particularly, adding 1 mol. % ${\mathrm{Ho}}^{3+}$ ions into ${\mathrm{LaF}}_3\text{:}{\mathrm{Yb}}^{3+}/{\mathrm{Tm}}^{3+}$ nanoparticles induced a 2.85-fold enhancement in NIR 801 nm emission of ${\mathrm{Tm}}^{3+}$ ions. The related upconversion emission mechanisms were investigated and discussed.

© 2015 Optical Society of America

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