Photoluminescence spectral analysis of Eu3+: Phosphors

A new family of five red luminescent powder phosphors of Eu3+:Ca4RE (=La,Y, Gd, La+Y, Gd+Y) O(BO3)3 has been developed to characterize them spectroscopically in order to identify the most suitable phosphor as the screen coating material based on the measurement of their emission spectra at two excitation wavelengths (290 and 390 nm) and also the red emission lifetimes. The results clearly indicate that the phosphor containing the gadolinium ion Eu3+:Ca4GdO(BO3)3 demonstrates a brighter and more prominent red color emission and thus enables us to suggest Eu3+:Ca4GdO(BO3)3 as a novel material of significant importance for potential use as coating material on luminescent screens of electronic systems. For this material, the XRD, FTIR and SEM features have also been investigated to explore the structural details. Besides carrying out these essential measurements, we have also made an attempt to observe a strong red emission performance displayed by this phosphor under an UV source. Among the different emission transitions 5D0→7FJ=0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 of this phosphor, one particular transition (5D0→7F2) at 611 nm has been found to be hypersensitive in nature which obeys the selection ΔJ=2 in the display of such strong and intense red emission behavior.