| Summary: | The novel YbNbO<sub>4</sub>:Er<sup>3+</sup> phosphors were firstly synthesized through the hydrothermal method by adding LiOH·H<sub>2</sub>O as flux in the H<sub>2</sub>O/EG system. YbNbO<sub>4</sub>:Er<sup>3+</sup> phosphors showed the agglomerated irregular polygons coexisting with some tiny grains. XRD and Raman spectra were measured to understand the phase structure and the crystal growth mechanism of YbNbO<sub>4</sub>:Er<sup>3+</sup> phosphors. The upconversion (UC) emission spectra, the pump power dependency and UC mechanism were studied under 980 nm excitation. Based on the fluorescence intensity ratio technique, YbNbO<sub>4</sub>:Er<sup>3+</sup> exhibited the maximum sensor sensitivity of 0.00712 K<sup>−1</sup> at 220 K, providing a promising application in optical low-temperature sensors.
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