Luminescence properties and energy transfer in Dy3+ and Eu3+ co-doped Sr3Y(PO4)3 phosphor

• Energy-transfer mechanism from Dy3+ to Eu3+ is quadrupole-quadrupole interaction.
• Tuning the color emission of Sr3Y(PO4)3: Dy3+, Eu3+ samples based on energy transfer.
• The critical distance between Dy3+ and Eu3+ is 15.22 Å.
• The color temperature of Sr3Y(PO4)3: Dy3+ is tuned via the doping of Eu3+ ions.
• The decay life time of the Dy3+ decreases due to the energy transfer.

The phosphors Sr3Y(PO4)3: Dy3+, Eu3+ were synthesized by a high temperature solid-state reaction method in air atmosphere and their crystal structures, luminescence properties, lifetime, and energy transfer mechanism were investigated in detail. The co-doped Dy3+ and Eu3+ in Sr3Y(PO4)3 could enhance emission of Eu3+ ions and a series of characteristic emissions of Dy3+ and Eu3+ were observed in the emission spectra at around 487 nm, 575 nm, and 615 nm when excited at 350 nm. It indicates that the energy transfer occurs from Dy3+ to Eu3+ and the intensity ratio of multicolor emission could be tuned by adjusting their concentration ratio on the basis of efficient Dy3+ – Eu3+ energy transfer. The energy-transfer mechanism from Dy3+ to Eu3+ in Sr3Y(PO4)3 is determined to be a quadrupole-quadrupole interaction and the critical distance between Dy3+ and Eu3+ is 15.22 Å. The decay life time of the Dy3+ ions decreases with the increase of the Eu3+ dosage concentration.