Abstract
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•The Ho,Yb,Zn: Y2Ti2O7 phosphor has been synthesized by solid state method.•The zinc free phosphor shows weak green UC emission on excitation with 980 nm.•The zinc doping shows intense green emission due to increase in crystallinity.•The green emission intensity enhances ˜92 times in the presence of zinc.
The Ho3+, Yb3+ co-doped Y2Ti2O7 phosphor samples have been synthesized through solid state reaction method in the absence and presence of Zn2+ ions. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis show that the phase of the crystal is face centered cubic. The zinc free phosphor shows weak upconversion emission in green region due to 5S2, 5F4 →5I8 transition of Ho3+ ion on excitation with 980 nm radiation. The emission intensity is enhanced significantly in the presence of Zn2+ ions due to increase in crystallinity, particle size and asymmetry in the crystal field. We are reporting ˜92 times enhancement in the green emission intensity for 30 mol% co-doping of Zn2+ ions. The lifetime of 5S2 level of Ho3+ ion increases by increasing the concentration of Zn2+ ions. The intense green emission in this material may be suitable for display and other fluorescence based devices.