Investigation on photoluminescence properties and defect chemistry of GdAlO3:Dy3+ Ba2+ phosphors

GdAlO3:Dy3+ Ba2+ phosphors are synthesized by citrate-based sol-gel method. Photoluminescence and positron annihilation studies are used to investigate the emission and defect chemistry of the phosphors respectively. The strong yellow (Dy3+) emission properties of phosphors are discussed for various concentrations of Dy3+ ions. Upon the addition of Ba2+ ion, an enhancement in emission intensity is observed due to the lattice distortions around Dy3+ ion. The positron studies indicate the presence of defects at crystallite boundaries, vacancy clusters and large voids in the materials. The influence of Ba2+ ion on the photoluminescence and lattice distortion around Dy3+ is also explored.