Improved luminescence behavior in Er³⁺ doped KNbO₃ perovskite structure ceramics

To investigate the effect of Er³⁺ doping on the luminescence behavior of perovskite structure ceramics, the Er₂O₃ doped KNbO₃ smart ferroelectric ceramics have been synthesized by the conventional solid-state reaction. The results of luminescence property demonstrated that the green and red up-conversion emission intensities of these ceramics excited under 980 nm increased with the content of Er₂O₃ and achieved the maximum value with Er₂O₃ of 0.75 mol%. The ratio of green and red emission intensity could also be adjusted by changing the content of Er₂O₃, and the mechanism of up-conversion processes involved a two-photon absorption. In addition to the admirable intrinsic piezoelectric properties of KNbO₃, this kind of material may render potential application as a multifunctional device by integrating its up-conversion and piezoelectric property.