Winning color-tunable upconversion luminescence and high-sensitive optical thermometry in K3Gd(PO4)2:Yb3+,Er3+,Tm3+

A series of Yb3+, Er3+, Tm3+ co-doped K3Gd(PO4)2 are prepared via the solid-state reaction method. Upon 980 nm excitation, the synthesized samples present color-tunable upconversion luminescence ranging from yellow to blue with the increment of Tm3+ doping contents. The upconversion mechanisms of Yb3+, Er3+, Tm3+ co-doped system are systematically investigated in detail. Varying contents of Tm3+ can appropriately alter the upconversion emissions of blue, green and red via possible energy transfer processes. Furthermore, the thermometric performances of phosphors associated with upconversion luminescence are analyzed in the temperature region of 300–675 K. By employing non-thermally coupled energy levels (2H11/2/4F9/2 of Er3+), the maximum relative and absolute sensitivity reaches 0.78 % K−1 and 0.168 K−1. Combining the sensitivity characteristic and repeatability of thermometer, the luminescence intensity ratio technology based on non-thermally coupled energy levels may be a more effective choice for optical thermometry. These excellent results will pave an avenue to K3Gd(PO4)2:Yb3+,Er3+,Tm3+ phosphors for the fields of color-tunable luminescence and non-contact temperature sensing.