Promising light converting BaMoO4:Er3+-Tm3+-Yb3+ phosphors for display and optical temperature sensing

Er³⁺-Tm³⁺-Yb³⁺ tri-doped BaMoO₄ phosphors were synthesized by co-precipitation technique and characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis, absorption study and field emission scanning electron microscopy analysis. Upconversion as well as downconversion luminescence studies were performed by using near infrared (980 nm) and ultraviolet (380 nm) excitations. Energy level diagram, pump power dependence and colour coordinate study were utilized to describe the multicolor upconversion emission properties. Under single 980 nm diode laser excitation the dual mode sensing behaviour is realized via Stark sublevels and thermally coupled energy levels of the Tm³⁺ and Er³⁺ ions in the prepared tri-doped phosphors. A comparative fluorescence intensity ratio analysis for integrated emission intensities arising from the Stark sublevels {¹G_4(a) and ¹G_4(b)} and thermally coupled energy levels {²H_11/2 and ⁴S_3/2} of the Tm³⁺ and Er³⁺ ions, respectively was carried out in the prepared tri-doped BaMoO₄ phosphors. The maximum sensitivity for thermally coupled energy levels of the Er³⁺ and Stark sublevels of the Tm³⁺ ion was reported. The developed phosphors could be useful in the display devices and optical thermometric applications.     

Synthesis and photoluminescence properties of Er3+ and Dy3+ doped Na2NbAlO5 phosphors

A series of Ln³⁺ (Ln³⁺ = Er³⁺/Dy³⁺) ions doped Na₂NbAlO₅ (NNAO) phosphors were synthesized by solid-state method. The Er³⁺ and Dy³⁺ ions doped phosphors were characterized by XRD, photoluminescence (PL) and decay profiles. The Ln³⁺-doped samples are consistent with the pure NNAO phase which is analyzed by the X-ray diffraction result. The PL graphs show that the intensity of luminescence increases with the increasing doping concentrations up to their critical certain values and then decreases at higher concentrations due to the concentration quenching effect of Er³⁺/Dy³⁺ ions. The energy level diagrams containing the positions of 4f and 5d energy levels of Er³⁺ and Dy³⁺ ions have been established and studied. In addition, under the ultraviolet light, the prepared NNAO:xLn³⁺ (Ln³⁺ = Er³⁺/Dy³⁺) phosphors show the characteristic green (Er³⁺), cyan (Dy³⁺) emission, respectively. Under the excitation of 365 nm, the quantum efficiencies of NNAO:0.01Er³⁺ and NNAO:0.03Dy³⁺ phosphors are measured to be 61.7% and 72.2%, respectively. The obtained results indicate that the new NNAO:xLn³⁺ (Ln³⁺ = Er³⁺/Dy³⁺) phosphors are promising applications in white-light emitting diodes field.     

Intense single-band red upconversion emission in BiOCl:Er~(3+) layered semiconductor via co-doping Ho~(3+)

Exploring a new tuning way to facilely realize single-band red emission in trivalent rare-earth ions(RE~(3+)) doped upconversion(UC) materials is still desirable.In this work,the intense single-band red emission is achieved by co-doping only Ho~(3+)in the BiOCl:Er~(3+) under 1550 nm excitation.In the BiOCl layered host,co-doping Ho~(3+)can further enhance the red emission and simultaneously suppress the green emission of Er~(3+),and thus obviously improve the red-to-green(R/G) ratio.It is found that Ho~(3+)does not se rve as ene rgy trapping through the ~5 I_6 state as in traditional UC materials but acts as ET bridge(~4 S_(3/2),~2 H_(11/2)(Er~(3+))→~5 F_4,~5 S_2(Ho~(3+))→~4 F_(9/2)(Er3+)).The tuning mechanism of Ho3+is discussed in detail and further confirms through a comparative experiment.Our research gives an unusual perspective to tune the UC behavior of Er3+through co-doping Ho~(3+),which might be inspiring for achievement of single-band red UC emission.     

Upconversion multicolor tuning of NaY(WO4)2:Tb3+ with Eu3+ doping

A series of Tb~(3+) and Eu~(3+) co-doped NaY(WO_4)_2 phosphors were synthesized by hydrothermal reactions.The crystal structure,morphology,upconversion luminescent properties,the energy transfer from Tb~(3+) to Eu~(3+)ions and the ~5 D_4→ ~7 F_5 transition of the Tb~(3+) ion in NaY(WO_4)_2:Tb~(3+),Eu~(3+) phosphors were investigated in details.The results indicate that all the synthesized samples are of pure tetragonal phase NaY(WO_4)2.Furthermore,the micrometer-sized needle spheres and excellent dispersion of the particles are obtained by adding polyethylene glycol(PEG-2000) as the surfactant.Phosphors of NaY(WO_4)_2:Tb~(3+),Eu~(3+) exhibit the492 nm blue emission peak,546 nm green emission peak,595 nm orange emission peak and 616 nm red emission peak under 790 nm excitation.The energy transfer from Tb~(3+) to Eu~(3+) is a resonant transfer,in which electric dipole-dipole interaction plays a leading role.By adjusting the doping concentration of Eu~(3+) in NaY(WO_4)_2: 1.0 mol%Tb~(3+),xmol%Eu~(3+) phosphors,the emitting color of UC phosphors can be tuned from green to red.     

Effect of Li+ ion concentration on upconversion emission and temperature sensing behavior of La2O3:Er3+ phosphors

The effects of Li~+ co-doping concentration on the structure, upconversion luminescence and temperature sensing behavior of Er~(3+):La_2O_3 phosphors were investigated. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy observations reveal that Li~+ ion co-doping can change the lattice parameter of La_2O_3 host and increase the particle size of the samples. The optical investigation shows that co-doping of Li~+ ions can enhance the upconversion emission of Er~(3+) ions in La_2O_3 matrix effectively. Most importantly, the temperature sensing sensitivity of the samples is found to be dependent on Li~+ co-doping concentration,when the emission intensity ratio of the(~2H_(11/2)→~4 I_(15/2)) and(~4 S_(3/2)→~4 I_(15/2)) transitions of Er~(3+) is chosen as the thermometric index. Both of the optimum upconversion luminescence and temperature sensing sensitivity are obtained for 7 mol% Li~+ co-doped sample. When the Li~+ concentration is beyond 7 mol%,both the quenching in upconversion intensity and the degradation of temperature sensitivity are observed, which may be due to the serious distortion in local crystal field around Er~(3+) ions caused by the excess Li~+ ions.     

Synthesis and optical characterization of Eu2+,Tb3+-codoped Sr3Y(PO4)3 green phosphors

A series of Eu~(2+),Tb~(3+)-codoped Sr_3 Y(PO_4)_3(SYP) green phosphors were synthesized by hightemperature solid-state reaction. Several techniques, such as X-ray diffraction, UV-vis spectrum,and photoluminescence spectrum, were used to investigate the obtained phosphors. The present study investigates in detail photoluminescence excitation and emission properties, energy transfer between the two dopants, and effects of doping ions on optical band gap. SYP:0.05 Eu2+ phosphor shows an intense and broad excitation band ranging from 220 to 400 nm and exhibits a bright green emission band with CIE chromaticity coordinates(0.189, 0.359) under 350 nm excitation. Green emission of SYP:0.03 Tb3+ is intensified by codoping with Eu~(2+), and energy transfer mechanism between them is demonstrated to be a dipole-dipole interaction. Upon 350 nm excitation, SYP:Eu~(2+),Tb~(3+) phosphors exhibits two dominating bands peaking at 466 and 545 nm, which are assigned to 4 f~65 d~1→4 f~7 transition of Eu~(2+) ions and ~5 D_4→~7 F_5 transition of Tb~(3+) ions, respectively. Optimal doping concentrations of Eu~(2+) and Tb~(3+) in the SYP host are 5 mol% and 15 mol%, respectively. Results indicate that SYP:Eu~(2+),Tb~(3+) phosphors are potentially used as green-emitting phosphors for white light-emitting diodes.     

Preparation and luminescence properties of orange-red Ba3Y4O9:Sm3+ phosphors

A novel orange-red emitting Ba₃Y₄O₉:Sm³⁺ phosphors were prepared by a high temperature solid-state reaction in air. X-ray diffraction (XRD), photoluminescence spectra, fluorescence decay and temperature-dependent emission spectra were utilized to characterize the structure and luminescence properties. The results show that the excitation spectrum includes a series of linear peaks at 350, 367, 382, 410, 424, 445, 470 and 495 nm, respectively. Under 410 nm excitation, the emission peaks were located at 574 nm (⁴G_5/2—⁶H_5/2), 608 nm (⁴G_5/2—⁶H_7/2), 659 nm (⁴G_5/2—⁶H_9/2) and 722 nm (⁴G_5/2—⁶H_11/2), respectively. The concentration quenching occurs when x equals 0.08 for Ba₃Y_4–xO₉:xSm³⁺ phosphor and its mechanism is ascribed to the dipole–dipole interaction. The chromaticity coordinates of Ba₃Y_3.92O₉:0.08Sm³⁺ phosphor are in the orange-red region. The temperature-dependent study shows that this phosphor has excellent luminescence thermal-stability. And the luminescence intensity of Ba₃Y_3.92O₉:0.08Sm³⁺ phosphor at 473 K only declines by about 25.75% of its initial intensity. The experimental data indicate that Ba₃Y₄O₉:Sm³⁺ phosphor may be promising as an orange-red emitting phosphor for white light emitting diodes.     

Luminescence properties of phosphate phosphors Ba3Gd1−x(PO4)3:xSm3+

A series of reddish orange phosphors Ba_3Gd_(1-x)(PO_4)_3:xSm~(3+)(x = 0.02.0.04,...,0.12) were prepared by the high-temperature solid-state reaction. X-ray powder diffraction(XRD) and diffuse reflectance and photoluminescence spectra were utilized to characterize the structure and spectral properties of the phosphors. The phosphors have strong absorption in the near-UV region. CIE chromaticity coordinates of the phosphors are located in the reddish orange region since the strongest emission band is around 598 nm and related to the ~4 G_(5/2)→~6 H_(7/2) transition of Sm~(3+). Optimal concentration of Sm~(3+) in the phosphors is about 6.0 at%. The quantum yield of the Ba_3Gd_(0.94)(PO_4)_3:0,06 Sm~(3+) under excitation at 403 nm is about 52.07%. Temperature dependent photoluminescence spectra of the Ba_3Gd_(0.94)(PO_4)_3:0.06 Sm~(3+) were measured and the phosphor exhibits high thermal stability of emission. All the results show that the Ba_3Gd(PO_4)_3:Sm~(3+) phosphor may be a potential red phosphor for near-UV based white LEDs.     

Energy transfer and cross-relaxation induced multicolor upconversion emissions in Er~(3+)/Tm~(3+)/Yb~(3+) doped double perovskite La_2ZnTiO_6 phosphors

Investigation on the bright and stable upconversion(UC) phosphors with multicolor emissions is fundamental and significant for the frontier applications of display and tempe rature probe.He re,dive rse emitting colors with blue,cyan and yellowish green,which are caused by the energy transfer and crossrelaxation processes,are obtained by altering Er~(3+),Tm~(3+)and Yb~(3+) concentrations in Er~(3+)singly,Er~(3+)-Tm~(3+)-Yb~(3+)co-and tri-doped double perovskite La_2 ZnTiO_6(LZT) phosphors synthesized by a simple solid-state reaction.In addition,excellent infrared emission at 801 nm located at "first biological windo w" is collected in Tm~(3+)-Yb~(3+)co-doped phosphors.Meanwhile,the temperature sensing properties based on the thermally coupled levels(~2 H_(11/2)/~4S_(3/2)) of Er~(3+) ions were analyzed from 298 to 573 K of LZT:0.15 Er~(3+)/0.10 Yb~(3+)phosphor,demonstrating that the maximal sensitivity value is about56×10-4 K~(1-) at 448 K.All these results imply that this kind of UC material has potential applications in display,bioimaging and optical device.     

Effects of Bi3+ on down-/up-conversion luminescence,temperature sensing and optical transition properties of Bi3+/Er3+ co-doped YNbO4 phosphors

A series of YNbO₄:Bi³⁺ and YNbO₄:Bi³⁺/Er³⁺ phosphors were prepared by a conventional high temperature solid–state reaction method. The results of XRD and Rietveld refinement confirm that monoclinic phase YNbO₄ samples are achieved. The down-/up-conversion luminescence of Er³⁺ ions was investigated under the excitation of ultraviolet light (327 nm) and near infrared light (980 nm). Under 327 nm excitation, broad visible emission band from Bi³⁺ ions and characteristic green emission peaks from Er³⁺ ions are simultaneously observed, while only strong green emissions from Er³⁺ ions are detected upon excitation of 980 nm. Remarkable emission enhancement is observed in down-/up-conversion luminescence processes by introducing Bi³⁺ ions into Er³⁺-doped YNbO₄ phosphors. Pumped current versus up-conversion emission intensity study shows that two-photon processes are responsible for both the green and the red up-conversion emissions of Er³⁺ ion. Through the study of the temperature sensing property of Er³⁺ ion, it is affirmed that the temperature sensitivity is sensitive to the doping concentration of Bi³⁺ ions. By comparing the experimental values of the radiative transition rate ratio of the two green emission levels of Er³⁺ ions and the theoretical values calculated by Judd-Ofelt (J-O) theory, it is concluded that the temperature sensing property of Er³⁺ ions is greatly affected by the energy level splitting.     

Emission tunable of Mg_(0.695)Si_(0.695)Al_(1.39)O_(3.65)N_(0.35):Eu~(2+),Mn~(2+) oxynitride phosphors via energy transfer for WLEDs

A series of Eu~(2+)doped and Eu~(2+)/Mn~(2+) co-doped Mg_(0.695)Si_(0.695)Al_(1.39)O_(3.65)N_(0.35)(MSAON) phosphors were synthesized by solid-state reaction at a lower temperature of 1500℃.The crystal morphology and structure of MSAON host were characterized by SEM,TEM and XRD.The quantum yield(QY) for Eu~(2+)doped MSAON phosphors was measured as high as 62%,indicating the excellent luminous efficiency.For the Eu~(2+)/Mn~(2+)co-doped MSAON phosphor,the photoluminescence spectrum and delay curves reveal the efficient energy transfer(ET) process from Eu2+to Mn~(2+)ions.Meanwhile,the corresponding energy transfer efficiency,critical distance and mechanism are discussed in detail.Temperature-dependent emission spectrum shows the thermal and color stabilities.The emission color of MSAON:Eu~(2+),Mn~(2+)phosphors could be tuned from blue through white to red via varying the concentration of Mn~(2+) ions.White-light-emitting diodes(WLEDs) were successfully fabricated by encapsulating the phosphors in nUV LED(365 nm) devices obtaining white light with color rendering index(CRI) as high as 87.7.The results reveal that the MSAON:Eu~(2+),Mn~(2+)phosphors could have potential application in the field of n-UV WLEDs.     

Effect of BaF2 addition on luminescence properties of Er3+/Yb3+ co-doped phosphate glasses

Er~(3+)/Yb~(3+) co-doped phosphate glasses(P_2O_5-Al_2O_3-BaO-BaF_2-K_2O-Er_2O_3-Yb_2O_3) with varying BaF_2 content,were prepared by a conventional melt quenching technique and their spectroscopic properties were examined through the Raman, absorption, emission and decay measurements. Raman spectra(350-1400 cm~(-1)) of the Er~(3+)/Yb~(3+) co-doped phosphate glasses with varying BaF_2 content, were recorded upon laser excitation at 785 nm. Near infrared luminescence spectra were measured in the1400-1600 nm region under 970 nm diode laser excitation and characteristic band was observed at1533 nm corresponding to ~4Ⅰ_(13/2)→~4Ⅰ_(15/2) transition of Er~(3+) ion. The decay curves for the ~4Ⅰ_(13/2) level of Er~(3+)ion, were measured and the lifetime is found to decrease from 7.94 to 7.70 ms when BaF_2 content increases from 0 to 8 mol% and then increases up to 7.83 ms with further increase in BaF_2 content(12 mol%). The emission cross-section.lifetime and figure of merit for the ~4Ⅰ_(13/2)→~4Ⅰ_(15/2) transition of Er~(3+) ion were evaluated and compared to the other host matrices. The upconversion luminescence was measured and intense red emission was observed for all the studied samples.     

Eu3+-doped BaLiZn3(BO3)3: A novel red-emitting phosphor for blue chips excited white LEDs

A series of novel red-emitting BaLiZn₃(BO₃)₃:Eu³⁺ phosphors were synthesized through the high temperature solid state reaction method. The phase composition, crystal structure, morphology and photoluminescence property of the BaLiZn₃(BO₃)₃:Eu³⁺ samples were systematically investigated. The phosphor can be efficiently excited by the near ultraviolet light (NUV) of 396 nm and blue light of 466 nm, and give out red light emission at 618 nm corresponding to the electric dipole transition (⁵D₀→⁷F₂). The optimal doping concentration of Eu³⁺ ions in BaLiZn₃(BO₃)₃ is determined to be about 3 mol%, and the concentration-quenching phenomenon arise from the electric dipole–dipole interaction. The temperature dependent luminescence behavior of BaLiZn₃(BO₃)₃:0.03Eu³⁺ phosphor exhibits its good thermal stability, and the activation energy for thermal quenching characteristics is calculated to be 0.1844 eV. The decay lifetime of the BaLiZn₃(BO₃)₃:0.03Eu³⁺ is measured to be 1.88 ms. These results suggest that the BaLiZn₃(BO₃)₃:Eu³⁺ phosphors have the potential application as a red component in white light emitting diodes (WLEDs) with NUV or blue chips.     

Bi3+ assisted luminescence in SrMoO4:Sm3+ red phosphors

In this paper, we report synthesis of pure SrMoO₄, Sm³⁺ (1 at%–5 at%) doped SrMoO₄ and Bi³⁺ (1 at%–3 at%) co-doped in 4 at% Sm³⁺ doped SrMoO₄ (SrMoO₄:4Sm³⁺) phosphors by solution combustion method. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis reveals the tetragonal phase of all samples, also Bi³⁺ co-doping supports crystallite size growth and reduces lattice strain. Absorption analysis of Sm³⁺ doped SrMoO₄ ascertains a decrease in band gap and Bi³⁺ co-doping confirms the emergence of an absorbance peak at around 308 nm attributed to Bi³⁺ energy levels. Photoluminescence (PL) analysis ascertains an increase in emission peaks for Sm³⁺ doped SrMoO₄ up to 4% concentration, which are attributed to an electron transition from ⁴G_5/2 to ⁶H_J (J = 5/2, 7/2, 9/2, and 11/2) energy levels of Sm³⁺ ions. We have explained the effects of Bi³⁺ co-doping on the luminescence of Sm³⁺ doped SrMoO₄. The reduced microstrain and increased crystallinity of the phosphors as a result of Bi³⁺ co-doping and their correlation with the luminescence of Sm³⁺ ions are discussed.     

Growth and property enhancement of Er3+-doped 0.68Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.32PbTiO3 single crystal

Er~(3+)-modified 0.68 Pb(Mg_(1/3)Nb_(2/3))O_3-0.32 PbTiO_3(PMN-32 PT) single crystals were grown by using the flux method. The growth mechanism of the crystal and influences of Er~(3+) ions on phase structure,electrical and optical properties were investigated. Results reveal that the crystals are still pure perovskite structure with Er3+ ions doping, but lattice enlarges slightly. The coercive electric field is increased from 4.83 to 6.37 kV/cm for [100]-oriented crystals comparing to undoped PMN-32 PT single crystals.Moreover, the crystal exhibits upconversion emission properties. Green(531 and 552 nm) and red(670 nm) emission bands are recorded under the excitation of 980 nm diode laser, which correspond to the ~2 H_(11/2)→~4 I_(15/2), ~4 S_(3/2)→~4 I_(15/2) and ~4 F_(9/2)→~4 I_(15/2) transitions of Er~(3+) ions. Our results show the feasibility of using this crystal in photoelectric multifunctional devices.     

Luminescence properties of near-UV excitable yellow-orange light emitting warm CaSrAl2SiO7:Sm3+ phosphors

Single-phase CaSrAl_2 SiO_7:Sm~(3+) phosphors were synthesized by traditional high temperature solid state reaction method. Formation of samples and phase analysis were confirmed by X-ray diffraction technique. Morphology was done by field emission scanning electron microscopy and elemental compositions were confirmed by energy dispersive X-ray analysis. Present phosphors have tetragonal crystallography with space group P42_1 m. Average crystallite size was calculated by using Scherrer and Williamson-Hall method. Photoluminescence study of CaSrAl_2 SiO_7:Sm~(3+) phosphor was investigated.Under different excitation wavelengths, PL spectra consist of four emission bands at 564, 570, 601 and650 nm. The emission bands located at 564 and 570 nm are associated with the transition ~4 G_(5/2)→~6 H_(5/2)while emission bands at 601 and 650 nm are due to ~4 G_(5/2)→~6 H_(7/2) and ~4 G_(5/2)→~6 H_(9/2),respectively.Intense emission was obtained when phosphor was excited under 404 nm wavelength. Non-radiative energy transfer process involved in concentration quenching, was also discussed. CIE coordinate is found in yellow-orange region, hence CaSrAl_2SiO_7:Sm~(3+) phosphors emit yellow-orange light when efficiently excited by near UV(～400 nm) LED chip. Color purity and CCT of the phosphor were determined; CCT suggests that present phosphor is a good candidate as a warm yellow-orange color emitting phosphor. Effect of different heating rates and different UV exposure time on the TL glow curve of the phosphor was investigated. Activation energies and kinetic parameters for different traps were calculated by using peak shape method. TL emission spectrum was also recorded. Present article explains all the possible mechanisms associated with luminescence process in CaSrAl_2 SiO_7:Sm~(3+) phosphors.     

Color-tunable Ca10Na(PO4)7:Ce3+/Tb3+/Mn2+ phosphor via energy transfer

A series of Ca_(10)Na(PO_4)_7:Ce~(3+)/Tb~(3+)/Mn~(2+)(CNPO:Ce~(3+)/Tb~(3+)/Mn~(2+)) phosphors with high brightness were synthesized by high-temperature solid-state method. X-ray diffraction(XRD), scanning electron microscopy(SEM), diffuse reflectance spectra(DRS), photo luminescence(PL) spectra, luminescence decay curves and thermally stability were performed to characterize the as-prepared samples. For Ce~(3+)-doped samples, an intense and broad band emission is present under 265 nm excitation. When Ce~(3+) and Tb~(3+)are codoped, energy transfer(ET) process from Ce3+ to Tb3+ is demonstrated with electric dipole-dipole interaction. The internal and external quantum efficiencies(QEs) of CNPO:0.15 Ce~(3+), 0.04 Tb~(3+), 0.005 Mn~(2+)are measured to 76.79% and 54.11% under 265 nm excitation and temperature-dependent PL intensity can remain 51.78% at 150 ℃ of its initial intensity at 25 ℃. It is indicated that single-phased white lightemitting CNPO:Ce~(3+)/Tb~(3+)/Mn~(2+) phosphor can serve as a promising phosphor for illumination devices.     

Structural and optical properties of Dy~(3+):YAlO_3 phosphors for yellow light-emitting diode applications

The spectroscopic properties of a series of Dy~(3+) single-doped and Dy~(3+)/Nd~(3+),Dy~(3+)/Tb~(3+),and Dy~(3+)/Tm~(3+)co-doped YAlO_3(yttrium aluminum perovskite,YAP) phosphors were investigated and compared through the measurements of optical absorption,emission spectra,and fluorescence decay curves.For the Dy~(3+) ion single-doped samples,the intensity of each absorption band increases with an increment in Dy~(3+) ion doping concentration,and the identified strong absorption peak at 447 nm indicates that Dy~(3+):YAP phosphors are suitable to be pumped by a blue laser diode(LD).For all co-doped samples,absorption peaks of Dy~(3+) ion along with some of the absorption bands of Nd~(3+),Tb~(3+),and Tm~(3+) ions are observed.Under 351 and 447 nm excitation,a prominent emission peak at 572 nm was obtained in all the samples,corresponding to Dy~(3+):~4 F_(9/2)→~6 H_(13/2) transition.Here,2 at% Dy~(3+):YAP phosphor exhibits the highest yellow emission intensity under 447 nm pumping.Among the three kinds of Dy~(3+) co-doped phosphors,Dy~(3+)/Tb~(3+):YAP phosphor possesses the dominant yellow emission.The fluorescence decay curves show exponential behaviour and are fitted well.The Commission International de L'Eclairage(CIE)chromaticity coordinates were calculated following the respective emission spectra,and it is found that all the coordinates locate in the yellow region.The energy transfer(ET) processes were investigated and the concentration quenching mechanism was discussed.The obtained results suggest that Dy~(3+)-activated YAP phosphors are good candidates for yellow LED applications.     

White light-emitting Ba0.05Sr0.95WO4:Tm3+ Dy3+ phosphors

Tm~(3+) and Dy~(3+) co-doped Ba_(0.05)Sr_(0.95)WO_4 phosphors were synthesized by a low temperature combustion method. The structures of the samples were SrWO_4 phase and were identified by X-ray diffraction. The surface topographies of Ba_(0.05)Sr_(0.91)WO_4:0.01 Tm~(3+) 0.03 Dy~(3+) were tested by scanning electron microscopy. The particles are ellipsoid, and their average diameter is approximately 0.5 μm. The emission spectra of Ba_(0.05)Sr_(0.95)WO_4:Tm~(3+) show a peak at 454 nm which belongs to the ~3 H_6→~1 D_2 transition of Tm~(3+), and the optimum doping concentration of Tm~(3+) ions was 0.01. The emission spectra of Ba_(0.05)Sr_(0.95)WO_4:Dy~(3+) consist of the ~4 F_(9/2)→~6 H_(13/2) dominant transition located at 573 nm, the weaker ~4 F_(9/_2→~6 H_(15/2) transition located at 478 and 485 nm. and the weakest ~4 F_(9/2)→~6 H_(11/2) transition located at660 nm, and the optimum doping concentration of Dy~(3+) ions was 0.05. A white light is achieved from Tm~(3+) and Dy~(3+) co-doped Ba_(0.05)Sr_(0.95)MoO_4 crystals excited at 352-366 nm. With the doping concentration of Tm~(3+) fixed at 0.01, the luminescence of Ba_(0.05)Sr_(0.95)MoO_4:Tm~(3+)Dy~(3+) is closest to standard white-light emissions when the concentration of Dy~(3+) is 0.03; the chromaticity coordinates are(0.321,0.347), and the color temperature is 6000 K.     

Rare-earth free sensitizer in NaLuCrF4:Er upconversion material

Upconversion phosphors are known as a material system that can convert near-infrared light into visible/ultraviolet emissions by sequentially absorbing multiple photons. The studies on upconversion materials often use two rare earth (RE) ions as a sensitizer-activator pair. We investigated the influences on luminescence intensity depending on Cr-doping content (x) of hexagonal NaLu_0.98–xCr_xF₄Er_0.02 (x = 0–0.9) upconversion material by substituting Lu³⁺ ions with Cr³⁺in the absence of Gd³⁺. The change in upconversion luminescence intensity appears with saddle-like shape. We suggest that Cr³⁺ ions play the dual role as a constituent in host lattice and a sensitizer in the upconversion process. Optimal conditions for gaining the strongest upconversion emission correspond to x = 0.3–0.5, where there are effective energy transfers between Cr³⁺ and Er³⁺ ions and CrEr dimers. Apart from these values, the emission intensity decreases rapidly which can be ascribed to the absence of multiple-photon absorption for the case of low Cr³⁺ contents, and to the coupling between Cr³⁺ and/or Er³⁺ ions for the case of high Cr³⁺ contents. Magnetization and electron-spin-resonant measurements were performed to understand the correlation between the optical and magnetic properties.