Luminescence properties and energy transfer investigations of BaAl2B2O7:Ce3+,Tb3+ phosphors

► The spectral overlap between Ce3+ and Tb3+ supports the ET from Ce3+ to Tb3+. ► BaAl2B2O7:Ce3+,Tb3+ could be excited by UV light and exhibited green emission. ► Decay times are estimated to be 26-4 ns for Ce3+ in BaAl2B2O7:Ce3+,Tb3+. ► The ET is a dipole-dipole interaction mechanism in BaAl2B2O7:Ce3+,Tb3+.