Optical temperature sensing performance of Er3+/Yb3+ co-doped TiO2–ZrO2–La2O3 glasses

Er ^3+ /Yb ^3+ co-doped TiO _2 –ZrO _2 –La _2 O _3 glasses were prepared by aerodynamic levitation method. The transmittance spectrum shows that the transmittance of the glass before and after irradiation decreases from 75.46% to 71.13% in visible and near-infrared bands. The absorption and emission cross sections of the glasses at 525 nm were studied. The glasses were thermally treated at various temperatures and then investigated by x-ray diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscope and Transmission Electron Microscope. Optical spectra were measured as a function of temperature in the range of 298–498 K. The maximum relative sensitivity was determined to be 1.47% K ^−1 at 298 K. These results imply that the obtained glass may have the potential to be the matrix material for temperature sensing that requires to employed in a complex environment.