Abstract

As an approach to design efficient visible luminescent material at nano scale, ${\mathrm{Ho}}^{3+}$ ion-doped single-phase zinc oxide (ZnO) nano phosphor to obtain red emission suitable for LED/laser applications is reported. ${\mathrm{Ho}}^{3+}$-doped ZnO nanoparticles with various concentrations of ${\mathrm{Ho}}^{3+}$ have been prepared by a simple solgel synthesis technique. Under the excitation of 488 nm, the photoluminescence emission spectra of the nano phosphor exhibit an intense emission with multiple and well-resolved narrow splitting peaking in the range from 640 to 667 nm, which is identified as the emission from the ${\mathrm{Ho}}^{3+}$ ion, corresponding to ${}^5{\mathrm{F}}_5\to {{}^5\mathrm{I}}_8$ transition with multiple splitting due to the ZnO crystal field. The required excitation threshold for these emissions is, surprisingly, as low as $33.8\mathrm{kW}/{\mathrm{cm}}^2$, and the narrow line width ($\mathrm{FWHM}<2\mathrm{nm}$) is found to be persistent even at higher temperatures. Such sharp emission from ${\mathrm{Ho}}^{3+}\text{:}\mathrm{ZnO}$ nanoparticles could be used for lasing applications.

© 2017 Optical Society of America

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