Temperature dependence of luminescence properties of Sr3P4O13:Eu2+ polycrystalline ceramics

A blue-emitting phosphor Sr3P4O13:Eu2+ was synthesized by a solid state reaction. The luminescence properties of Sr3P4O13:Eu2+ phosphors as well as their thermal quenching and the luminescence decay behavior were firstly investigated in detail. The emission spectrum is an asymmetric band at room temperature, while it exhibits two distinct bands when the temperature falls to 20 K. With increase temperature, the two bands become difficult to distinguish and the emission intensity decreases. The peak of emission bands shifts towards shorter wavelengths as temperature increases. The decay curves are nearly exponential for 390 nm emission; while those for 450 nm emission are exponential only when the temperature is lower than 230 K. The lifetime is temperature independent when the temperature is lower than 200 K. The lifetime decreases as the temperature increases. Sr3P4O13:Eu2+ is a potential blue-emitting near-UV convertible phosphor.