Spectroscopic properties of Sm3+-doped oxy-fluoride powders with various Sm3+ concentration and sintering temperature

• Sm3+-doped oxy-fluoride powders were synthesized using solid-state reaction.
• Judd–Ofelt parameters of Sm3+-doped powders sintered at different temperatures are calculated and discussed.
• Concentration quenching of Sm3+-doped powders sintered at 1400 °C turned out to be 2 mol%.
• OFSm03 powders are well suitable for the generation of orange light for laser applications.

Sm3+-doped oxy-fluoride (OFSm) powders are prepared by the melt quenching technique and characterized using FE-SEM, optical absorption and emission techniques. Spectroscopic properties of Sm3+-doped oxy-fluoride powders with different Sm3+ concentration and sintering temperature are presented and discussed by using the absorption, emission measurements. The Judd–Ofelt intensity (J–O) parameters (Ωλ, where λ = 2, 4 and 6), measured from the experimental oscillator strengths of the absorption spectra, are used to evaluate the radiative parameters of the fluorescence transitions. Intense orange emission can be obtained when excited with 325 nm wavelength by increasing the sintering temperature to 1400 °C. Ratio of fluorescence intensities arising from the two closing lying 4F3/2 and 4G5/2 levels is studied, concentration quenching has been noticed beyond 2 mol% of Sm3+ ions concentration. The excellent spectroscopic properties along with the outstanding thermal stability suggest that the OFSm03 powders may become an attractive laser material to exhibit efficient visible lasing emission in the orange spectral region.