Unlocking the luminescent potential of Pr3+/Yb3+ Co-doped Y2Mo4O15 for advanced thermometry applications

In this study, Pr3+/Yb3+ co-doped Y2Mo4O15 phosphor was successfully synthesized using the traditional citric acid-assisted sol-gel method, with the aim of exploring its potential for optical thermometry applications. The structural and morphological characteristics of the synthesized sample were comprehensively analyzed through X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Photoluminescence and temperature-dependent luminescence properties were systematically investigated within a temperature range of 298 K to 508 K, employing 473 nm excitation. To assess the temperature sensing capabilities of the phosphors, we utilized both the fluorescence intensity ratio (FIR) and fluorescence lifetime (FL) techniques. Optical temperature measurements were conducted through both thermal and non-thermal coupling methods. Our findings revealed that the FIR (I547/I490) exhibited an outstanding maximum sensitivity of 1.27% K−1, accompanied by remarkably low-temperature uncertainty (δT) values ranging from 0.04 to 0.83 K. This outstanding performance makes it the optimal choice for temperature sensing. Additionally, when employing FL thermometry, the maximum sensitivity (Sr) was determined to be 0.21% K−1 at 538 K. These results strongly indicate the significant potential of Y2Mo4O15: Pr3+/Yb3+ in the realm of optical thermometry, offering promising opportunities for precise and reliable temperature measurements.