Opto-mechano-thermo-sensitive allochroic luminescence based on coupled dual activators in tantalate towards multidimensional stimulus sensing

Abstract

The demand for multidimensional stimulus sensing devices that can be used for the real-time monitoring of the equipment status in complex working environments has led to investigations on multifunctional optoelectronic materials. Nevertheless, the exploitation of all-in-one materials with multimode and multicolor luminescence capacities is still immature. Given the abundant transitions in lanthanide ions and the stress-responsive ability of piezoelectric crystals, multi-activator-doped piezoelectric materials are promising candidates for multifunctional detection based on luminescence characteristics. Herein, we report a novel multidimensional stimulus-sensitive material constructed via combining dual luminescence centers (Bi³⁺/Er³⁺) with piezoelectric LiTaO₃, thus realizing opto-mechano-thermo-responsive luminescence in a single material. Particularly the photoluminescence is allochroic (cyangreen-yellow) under diverse excitation sources (ultraviolet-blue-near infrared radiation). Its mechanoluminescence performance shows a linear relation with the applied load, allowing its application in stress sensing. In addition, the thermally coupled levels of Er³⁺ dopants endow the LiTaO₃ material with temperature sensing capacity relying on the fluorescence intensity ratio. These findings provide a new method for designing optical function materials and integrated optoelectronic devices toward radiative, stress, and temperature sensing applications.