Pulsed-laser-assisted Synthesis of a Tm₃+/Yb₃+ Co-doped CaMoO₄ Colloidal Nanocrystal and Its Upconversion Luminescence

We report a novel synthetic route for the synthesis of Tm3+/Yb3+ co-doped calcium molybdate (CaMoO4) nanoparticles by using pulsed laser ablation in ethanol. The crystalline phase, particle morphology, particle size distribution, laser ablation mechanism, and upconversion (UC) luminescent properties are investigated. Stable colloidal suspensions consisting of well-dispersed Tm3+/Yb3+ co-doped CaMoO4 nanoparticles with a narrow size distribution could be obtained without any surfactant. Under 980-nm excitation, a Tm3+/Yb3+ co-doped nanocolloidal CaMoO4 suspension showed bright blue emission at a wavelength near 475 nm, which was generated by the 1G4 → 3H6 transition, and a weak red emission at a wavelength near 650 nm due to the 3F2 → 3H6 transition. The Tm3+/Yb3+ co-doped nanocrystalline CaMoO4 suspension exhibited a strong blue emission visible to the naked eyes, and a possible UC mechanism that depends on the pump-power dependence is discussed in detail.