Modulating Thermometric Performance via Dopant Concentration and Morphology in Luminescence Thermometer Exhibiting Dual Structural Phase Transitions

Abstract

Expanding the operational range of luminescent thermometers that utilize thermally induced structural phase transitions in lanthanide-doped materials necessitates the exploration of novel host matrices with diverse thermal behaviors. In line with this objective, the present study offers a comprehensive analysis of the temperature-dependent spectroscopic properties of Li3Sc2(PO4)3:Eu3+. The findings reveal that the studied material undergoes two reversible phase transitions: {\gamma}LT - {\alpha}/\b{eta} phase transition at approximately 160 K, followed by an \b{eta} HT transition around 550 K. These transitions are evidenced by notable alterations in the emission spectra and luminescence decay kinetics of Eu3+ ions. By employing an appropriate luminescence intensity ratio, the sensitivity was determined to be 7.8 % K-1 at 160 K for 0.1%Eu3+ and 0.65 % K-1 at 550 K for 0.5%Eu3+. Furthermore, the study demonstrates that the phase transition temperature in Li3Sc2(PO4)3:Eu3+ can be modulated through variations in dopant ion concentration and annealing conditions, which in turn influence the material's morphology. These strategies enable the fine-tuning of thermometric performance in phase transition-based luminescent thermometers. To the best of our knowledge, this represents the first report in the literature of a luminescent thermometer exhibiting dual thermal operating ranges.