Ce3+-sensitized red Mn2+ luminescence in calcium aluminoborate phosphor material

Ce3+ doped and Ce3+,Mn2+ co-doped calcium aluminoborate (CAB) phosphors were synthesised by solid-state reaction method and their optical properties were studied. X-ray powder diffraction, SEM and TEM studies indicated the crystallization of the main trigonal CaAl2B2O7 phase and the presence of an additional non-crystalline phase. It was also observed that increasing dopant concentration promotes phase separation. Hence, both series of phosphors demonstrated the changes in luminescence properties via activator concentration variation. Upon UV excitation (λex = 310 nm) Ce3+ doped and Ce3+,Mn2+ co-doped materials yielded intensive blue and pinkish luminescence, respectively. The spectra of CAB:Ce3+ samples showed a broad emission band due to 5d→4f transition of Ce3+, which broadened and shifted to longer wavelengths with increasing dopant content. Mn2+ co-doping caused appearance of another broad-band emission with a maximum of 680 nm, resulting from the 4T1(4G) →6A1(6S) transition of Mn2+. Detailed analysis of the emission and excitation spectra as well as decay time traces as a function of dopant concentration showed that efficient resonant energy transfer mainly occurs between Ce3+ and Mn2+ incorporated in the non-crystalline phase in CAB material. The estimated values of energy transfer efficiency of CAB:Ce3+(3%),Mn2+(4%) is close to 52%.