• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.70-74
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• 2017

Up-conversion (UC) and down-conversion (DC) luminescence of $LuNbO_4:0.18Yb^{3+}$, $xEr^{3+}$ (x = 0.01-0.07) powders were investigated. Post-annealed powders were composed of a single $LuNbO_4$ phase with a monoclinic fergusonite structure, whereas as-calcined powders contained a small amount of the $Li_3NbO_4$ impurity phase. Under near infrared radiation, the UC spectra of the post-annealed powders exhibited the strong green and weak red emission peaks assigned to the transition of $^2H_{11/2}/^4S_{3/2}$ and $^4F_{9/2}$ to the ground state ($^4I_{15/2}$) of $Er^{3+}$ ions, respectively; the green and red emission intensities were approximately 330 and 270% stronger, respectively, than those of the as-calcined powders. A two-photon UC process was involved in the emission as a result of an energy transfer from $Yb^{3+}$ to $Er^{3+}$. Under ultraviolet radiation, the DC spectra exhibited broad blue and sharp green emission bands. The DC mechanism was explained using self-activated $[NbO_4]^{3-}$ niobates and an energy transfer from $[NbO_4]^{3-}$ to $Er^{3+}$.