Diode laser pumped Gd2O3:Er3+/Yb3+ phosphor as optical nano-heater

An intense green upconversion (UC) emission (lambda (exc)=976 nm) followed by the heating effect in Yb3+/Er3+ co-doped Gd2O3 nanoparticles has been detected. A temperature rise up to 504 K has been observed (on a noteworthy low laser excitation of 290 mW) using fluorescence intensity ratio (FIR) method of the thermalized UC luminescence bands H-2(11/2)-> I-4(15/2) and S-4(3/2)-> I-4(15/2) of Er3+ ion. The reported controlled optical heating of nanoparticles and its nano-volume has potential applications in biomedicines and in the creation of holes in soft materials.