Systematic study on the intensified upconversion performance of LaVO4:Yb3+/Er3+ nanocrystals through Ti4+ ions doping by combining experiments and DFT calculations

The inherent low-efficiency for upconversion fluorescence materials constricts their further applications in many research domains. Over the last decades, considerable efforts have been paid to the fluorides, less works concering LaVO4 are reported. Based on series of impurity content-dependent experiments, Ti4+ ions doped LaVO4:Yb3+/Er3+ crystals are hydrothermally fabricated. The products are characterized by XRD, ICP, TEM and luminescence spectroscopy. Through modulating the Ti4+ ions doping concentration, the UCL intensity of 533 nm and 664 nm emissions are greatly intensified. The reasons are analyzed on the basis of three major factors. Meanwhile, extra DFT calculations are performed to support the experimental result. This report paves a new way for enhancing upconversion luminescence intensity of LaVO4 nanocrystals based on impurity doping.