Sr1.7Zn0.3CeO4F0.2:Eu3+: novel dual-emission temperature sensors for remote, noncontact thermometric application

Abstract

A novel dual-emitting temperature sensor, Sr_1.7Zn_0.3CeO₄F_0.2:Eu³⁺, is successfully synthesized via a ceramic reaction. Powder X-ray diffraction patterns and Rietveld refinement verify the phase purity of the sensor. Its photoluminescence spectrum exhibits a pronounced intrinsic dual emission, theoretically divided by the wavelength of 570 nm: one stems from Eu³⁺ and the other is derived from the Ce⁴⁺–O²⁻ charge transfer state. The temperature-dependent luminescence spectra of the dual-emission thermophosphor demonstrate its superior sensitivity towards ambient temperature. Further studies illustrate that the intensity ratio between the aforementioned two parts, as a function of temperature, is perfectly linear over a broad temperature window, yielding a convenient and accurate approach to obtain the temperature of a target, measured using the noncontact self-referencing model. We also investigate the basis of the underlying mechanism of Sr_1.7Zn_0.3CeO₄F_0.2:Eu³⁺ as a dual-emission thermometric sensor. The research herein shows that the intrinsic dual-emission sensor, as a new-fashioned thermophosphor, displays potential for ratiometric intensity measurements in thermometry domains.