Luminescence properties of YVO4: Ln (Ln = Dy3+, Eu3+, Tm3+) for white LED by hydrothermal method

YVO4: Dy3+, Eu3+ / YVO4: Dy3+, Eu3+, Tm3+ phosphors were synthesized by a simple hydrothermal method. The energy transfer from Dy3+ to Eu3+ was determined by photoluminescence (PL) spectra and fluorescence lifetime. The energy transfer mechanism from Dy3+ to Eu3+ was confirmed. The amount of Eu3+ in YVO4: 0.01Dy3+, Eu3+ with strong emission and small size was determined by applied ratio, and finally a white light (0.300, 0.317) output was achieved in YVO4: 0.01Dy3+, 0.01Eu3+, 0.03Tm3+ by adjusting the amount of activator ions. Thus the sample with the above characteristics has a promising application prospect in the light emitting diode (LED).