Effect of Trace Fe3+ on Luminescent Properties of CaWO4: Pr3+ Phosphors

Abstract

Abstract Fe3+ undoped and doped CaWO4: Pr3+ phosphors have been successfully synthesised by using the solid-state reaction method. The products were characterised by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), photoluminescence (PL) and fluorescence lifetime testing techniques, respectively. The mean crystallite size (50.7 nm) of CaWO4: Pr3+ is obtained from powder XRD data. PL spectra of both Fe3+ undoped and doped CaWO4: Pr3+ phosphors exhibit excitation peaks at 214, 449, 474, and 487 nm under monitor wavelength at 651 nm, and emission peaks at 532, 558, 605, 621, 651, 691, 712, and 736 nm under blue light (λ em=487 nm) excitation. The effect of trace Fe3+ on luminescence properties of CaWO4: Pr3+ phosphor is studied by controlling the doping concentration of Fe3+. The results show that radioactive energy transfers from luminescence centre Pr3+ to quenching centre Fe3+ occurred in Fe3+ doped CaWO4: Pr3+ phosphors. With the increasing concentration of Fe3+, the energy transfer from Pr3+ to Fe3+ is enhanced, and the emission intensity of CaWO4: Pr3+ will be lower. The decay times (5.22 and 4.99 μs) are obtained for typical samples Ca0.995WO4: Pr3+ 0.005 and Ca0.99275WO4: Pr3+ 0.005, Fe3+ 0.00225, respectively. This work shows that nonferrous phosphors can improve the luminescent intensity of the phosphors.