Individual luminescent nanoparticles enable thermometry with sub-diffraction limited spatial resolution, but potential self-heating effects from high single-particle excitation intensities remain largely uninvestigated because thermal models predict negligible self-heating. Here, we report that the common “ratiometric” thermometry signal of individual NaYF4:Yb3+,Er3+ nanoparticles unexpectedly increases with excitation intensity, implying a temperature rise over 50 K if interpreted as thermal. Luminescence lifetime thermometry, which we demonstrate for the first time using individual NaYF4:Yb3+,Er3+ nanoparticles, indicates a similar temperature rise. To resolve this apparent contradiction between model and experiment, we systematically vary the nanoparticle’s thermal environment: the substrate thermal conductivity, nanoparticle-substrate contact resistance, and nanoparticle size. The apparent self-heating remains unchanged, demonstrating that this effect is an artifact, not a real temperature rise. Using rate equation modeling, we show that this artifact results from increased radiative and non-radiative relaxation from higher-lying Er3+ energy levels. This study has important implications for single-particle thermometry.

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Highly efficient broadband thermal radiation from reduced graphene oxide (RGO) paper mixed with single-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is reported. These RGO-CNT paper ribbons routinely reach 3000 K before failure, with some samples exceeding 3300 K, higher than any other carbon nanomaterial. Excellent performance is achieved, with ≈90% radiation efficiency, 200 000 on/off cycles, and stable operation for more than 50 hours.

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We demonstrate far-field optical thermometry using individual NaYF4 nanoparticles doped with 2% Er(3+) and 20% Yb(3+). Isolated 20 × 20 × 40 nm(3) particles were identified using only far-field optical imaging, confirmed by subsequent scanning electron microscopy. The luminescence thermometry response for five such single particles was characterized for temperatures from 300 K to 400 K. A standard Arrhenius model widely used for larger particles can still be accurately applied to these sub-50 nm particles, with good particle-to-particle uniformity (response coefficients exhibited standard deviations below 5%). With its spatial resolution on the order of 50 nm when imaging a single particle, far below the diffraction limit, this technique has potential applications for both fundamental thermal measurements and nanoscale metrology in industrial applications.