Influence of La and Dy on the properties of the long afterglow phosphor CaAl2O4: Eu, Nd

The long afterglow phosphor CaAl₂O₄:Eu²⁺,Nd³⁺ was prepared by the high temperature solid-state reaction method, and the influence of La³⁺ and Dy³⁺ on the properties of the long afterglow phosphor was studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), photoluminescence (PL), and thermoluminescence (TL). The XRD pattern shows the host phase of CaAl₂O₄ is produced and no impurity phase appears. The peak wavelength of the phosphor does not vary with La³⁺ and Dy³⁺ doping. It implies that the crystal field, which affects the 5d electron states of Eu²⁺, is not changed dramatically after doping of La³⁺ and Dy³⁺. The TL spectra indicate that the phosphor doped with La³⁺ or Dy³⁺ produces different depths of trap energy level. In the mechanism of long afterglow luminescence, it is considered that La³⁺ or Dy³⁺ works as trap energy level. The decay time lies on the number of electrons in the trap energy level and the rate of the electrons returning to the excitation level.