The energy transfer in the Sb3+ and Eu3+ co-activated YBO3 phosphor and their white luminescence for deep ultraviolet LEDs application

The phosphors of Sb3+ and Eu3+ activated YBO3 were synthesized via solid-state reaction. The crystal structure was investigated using X-ray diffraction analysis. The luminescence and energy transfer were investigated on the synchrotron radiation instrument, by exciting with different wavelengths at room temperature or as low temperature as 14 K. The electron-lattice interaction between the activator Sb3+ and the host of YBO3 combined with the spin-orbit interaction of Sb3+ result in a large Stokes shift in Sb3+ emission, giving rise to no matchable energy levels for the energy transfer from Sb3+ to Eu3+. Nevertheless, the excitation energy could transfer from Bi3+ to Eu3+, which has the same ns2 electronic configuration as Sb3+. Taking advantage of the simultaneous isolated luminescence of Sb3+ and Eu3+, finally, the white luminescence from a single phosphor was tuned up by tailoring Sb3+ and Eu3+ concentrations in the YBO3 host, which shows potential application in deep ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (LEDs).