Rare-earth doped fluorophosphate glass and glass-ceramics for luminescent thermometry application

• Grant number: 23/02179-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: June 01, 2023
• End date: May 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Inorganic Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Danilo Manzani
• Grantee: Henrique Fabrega Fazan
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química de São Carlos (IQSC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 21/08111-2 - Development of rare earth based light converters: luminescent markers, optical sensors, and amplifiers, AP.TEM

Abstract

Glasses are versatile materials in composition and structure, which allow several applications from ornaments to complex waveguides and sensors. In this same area, glass-ceramics are also very promising, given their similarity to the vitreous material, added to the advantages of ceramics, such as greater chemical stability and mechanical resistance. The high demand for these materials in photonics is directly related to their interactions with light, which can be used to manufacture optical temperature sensors. In this research proposal, glasses and glass-ceramics based on fluorophosphates doped and co-doped with rare earths are proposed for application in optical thermometry. For this, samples containing Er3+, Yb3+, Ho3+ and Nd3+ present luminescent properties and appropriate electronic levels to be use for optical temperature measurements by emission, excitation, and lifetime spectroscopies. The obtained materials will be characterized in relation to their thermal stability and optical properties. In the final stage of the project, the sensitivity of optical sensors will be studied since, at a given temperature, each ion has a maximum value associated with this parameter. Thus, the aim of this work is to obtain a material that can be used to remotely measure a wide range of temperatures, to be use for different purposes in which temperature monitoring is needed.