Using Principal Component Analysis for Temperature Readings from YF3:Pr3+ Luminescence

The method of measuring temperature using luminescence by analyzing the emission spectra of Pr3+-doped YF3 using principal component analysis is presented. The Pr3+-doped YF3 is synthesized using a solid-state technique, and its single-phase orthorhombic crystal structure is confirmed using X-ray diffraction. The emission spectra measured within the 93–473 K temperature range displays characteristic Pr3+ f-f electronic transitions. The red emission from the 3P0,1→3H6,3F2 electronic transition mostly dominates the spectra. However, at low temperatures, the intensity of the green emissions from the 3P0,1→3H5, deep-red 3P0,1→3F4, and the deep-red emissions from the 3P0,1→3F4 transitions are considerably lower compared to the intensity of the red emissions. Temperature variations directly impact the photoluminescent spectra, causing a notable increase in the green and deep-red emissions from the 3P1 excited state. We utilized the entire spectrum as an input for principal component analysis, considering each temperature as an independent group of data. The first principal component explained 99.3% of the variance in emission spectra caused by temperature and we further used it as a reliable temperature indicator for luminescence thermometry. The approach has a maximum absolute sensitivity of around 0.012 K−1. The average accuracy and precision values are 0.7 K and 0.5 K, respectively.