The synergism between self-activated and impurity-related emissions of LiCa3ZnV3O12: lattice distortion, energy transfer and temperature sensing effect

Abstract

Some of the metal vanadates have special self-activated luminescence. In order to further enrich its luminous color, luminescent impurity ions can be introduced into its lattice. The interaction between the self-activated emission and the impurity-related emission remains to be studied. In this work, the synergism between the two kinds of emission in LiCa₃ZnV₃O₁₂ was explored from these three aspects: lattice distortion, energy transfer and temperature effect. Eu³⁺ ions replace Ca²⁺ ions in the lattice of LiCa₃ZnV₃O₁₂, leading to a lattice contraction of the LCZV host, which depresses the self-activating emission around 500 nm. The characteristic linear emissions of Eu³⁺ ions are also observed benefiting from the energy transfer from [VO₄]³⁻ to Eu³⁺. Since the temperature quenching effect is more sensitive for the self-activated emission than that for the Eu³⁺-related ones, the phosphor can be applied as a luminescent temperature sensor, with the absolute and relative temperature sensitivities of 0.012 K⁻¹ and 1.56% K⁻¹, respectively.