Photoluminescence and time-resolved luminescence spectroscopy of novel NaBa4(BO3)3:Tb phosphor

This paper reports the photoluminescence (PL) properties of Tb³⁺ in NaBa₄(BO₃)₃, as well as the time-resolved luminescence properties. The PL excitation spectrum exhibits intense f → f transition absorption; the PL emission spectrum shows the strongest ⁵D₄ → ⁷F₅ emission at 540 nm. The relative intensity of ⁵D₃ emission is much weaker than that of ⁵D₄ emission even in the samples with lower Tb³⁺ concentration. The ⁵D₃ → ⁵D₄ cross-relaxation produces a marked increase in the ⁵D₃ decay rate with increasing Tb³⁺ concentrations and introduces a non-exponential component into the initial part of the decay. The dipole-dipole interaction is found to be responsible for the cross-relaxation. The decay curves of ⁵D₄ → ⁷F₅ transition exhibit an initial rise phenomenon. The two exponential fitting indicates that the initial slow rise is attributed to the ⁵D₃ → ⁵D₄ cross-relaxation process.