Microwave Sol-Gel Process for Microcystalline Ho3+/Yb3+/Tm3+ Tri-Doped NaY(WO4)2 Phosphors and Their Upconversion Photoluminescence Properties

$Ho^{3+}/Yb^{3+}/Tm^{3+}$ tri-doped $NaY_{1-x}(WO_4)_2$ phosphors with proper doping concentrations of $Ho^{3+}$, $Yb^{3+}$ and $Tm^{3+}$ ($x=Ho^{3+}+Yb^{3+}+Tm^{3+}$, $Ho^{3+}$=0.04, 0.03, 0.02, 0.01, $Yb^{3+}$=0.35, 0.40, 0.45, 0.50 and $Tm^{3+}$=0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04) were successfully synthesized via the microwave sol-gel route, and their upconversion properties were investigated. Well-crystallized microcrystalline particles showed fine and homogeneous microcrystalline morphology with particle sizes of $1-2{\mu}m$. The optical properties were comparatively examined using photoluminescence emission and Raman spectroscopy. Under excitation at 980 nm, the doped particles exhibited white emissions based on blue, green and red emission bands, which correspond to the $^1G_4{\rightarrow}^3H_6$ transitions of $Tm^{3+}$ in the blue region, the $^5S_2/^5F_4{\rightarrow}^5I_8$ transitions of $Ho^{3+}$ in the green region, the $^5F_5{\rightarrow}^5I_8$ transitions of $Ho^{3+}$, and the $^1G_4{\rightarrow}^3F_4$ and $^3H_4{\rightarrow}^3H_6$ transitions of $Tm^{3+}$ in the red region. The pump power dependence of the upconversion emission intensity and the Commission Internationale de L'Eclairage chromaticity coordinates of the phosphors were evaluated in detail.