Tailoring light emission properties and optoelectronic and optothermal responses from rare earth-doped bismuth oxide for multifunctional light shielding, temperature sensing, and photodetection

Abstract

Multifunction and high integration has always been a goal worth pursuing when important breakthroughs of multidisciplinary researches in the fields of thermo-luminescent, opto-electronic, photo-magnetic interaction, etc., are emerged. Other significant considerations for a multifunctional strategy proposed in a single-material system are low-cost components and processing, universal applicability, and widespread popularity. Herein, we developed an all-purpose material with a tunable light emission property and controllable optoelectronic and optothermal response process. We showed a disappearance of emission behavior under the excitation of UV light by building a mid-gap host (Bi₂O₃) along with a rare earth (Sm³⁺) ion, with multiple energy level configurations, as an emission center. We also demonstrated that this scheme realized the successful imbedding of higher energy level Sm³⁺ into the conduction band and led to increased current under the excitation of visible light and the depopulated redistribution of the excited state level near the conduction band at higher temperatures. Thus, this phosphor is expected to open up the possibility of potentially free choice of light shielding, temperature sensing, and photodetection in a single-material system.