Application of thermally coupled energy levels in Er³⁺ doped CdMoO₄ phosphors: Enhanced solid-state lighting and non-contact thermometry

Er³⁺-activated CdMoO₄ phosphors were prepared by a traditional high-temperature solid-state method. The crystal structure, photoluminescence (PL) characteristics and performance in non-contact thermometry of as-prepared phosphors were studied in detail. Benefiting from the 3D network structure of CdMoO₄ host, the desirable green emission of Er³⁺-based phosphors were observed. Especially, based on the thermally coupled energy levels, the obtained phosphors show enhanced emission intensity in high temperatures. When applied to the temperature sensor based on the fluorescence intensity ratio (FIR), the prepared CdMoO₄:0.02Er³⁺ phosphor show an excellent sensitivity (0.875% K⁻¹) at 483 K. Therefore, it is demonstrated that the as-prepared Er³⁺-activated CdMoO₄ phosphors have a promising potential application in both solid-state lighting and non-contact thermometry.