Broad White Light and Infrared Emission Bands in YVO4:Yb3+,Ln3+ (Ln3+ = Er3+, Tm3+, or Ho3+)

The upconversion luminescence (UCL) for YVO4:Yb3+, Ln(3+) (Ln(3+) = Er3+, Tm3+, or Ho3+) compounds exhibited novel and intense white light ranging from 400 to 850 nm, and super-broad infrared (IR) bands extending from 1100-1700 nm. The upconversion (UC) populating mechanism was discussed. The discovery described in this paper may be significant for developing novel devices for lighting and display, as well as broad IR optical communications. (C) 2012 The Japan Society of Applied Physics