Color-tunable luminescence in Eu3+/Tb3+ co-doped oxyfluoride glass and transparent glass–ceramics

• Luminescence in Eu/Tb codoped glass and transparent glass–ceramics were study.
• The color-tunable emission luminescence in the glasses by changing Eu3+/Tb3+ ratio.
• The color changed in glass–ceramics by varying Eu3+/Tb3+ coordination environment.
• The transparent nanocomposite could be potentially applicable in color displays.

The β-PbF2 nanocrystals containing SiO2–AlF3–BaF2–PbF2–GdF3 transparent glass–ceramics were fabricated by high temperature melting–quenched technique, and their luminescence properties were investigated. Transparent glass–ceramics were obtained after heat treatment at their first crystallization temperature. Compared with the glass samples before heat treatment, high efficiency luminescence of Eu3+/Tb3+ co-doped was observed in the glass–ceramics under excitation 377 nm, and the emission intensity of Eu3+-doped showed different tendency to that emission intensity of Tb3+-doped after nanocrystals precipitate, resulting in color tunable luminescence. In addition, the energy transfer between the Eu3+ and Tb3+ ions are also investigated. The results suggest that the Eu3+/Tb3+ co-doped transparent glass–ceramics could be potentially applicable in the solid-state color displays.