Lanthanide-doped Lu2O3 phosphors and scintillators with green-to-red emission

Abstract

The sol-gel polyesterification route was used to prepare a series of Ln:Lu2O3 (Ln = Eu, Dy, Tb, Pr) phosphors. Phase composition, microstructure and luminescent properties were investigated with respect to different annealing temperature and dopant concentration used. According to XRD, all of the Ln:Lu2O3 samples were single phase, showing the cubic type structure of undoped Lu2O3, even for the highest doping concentration tested. However, with increasing doping concentration, the increment of lattice parameter was observed. In all samples, the photoluminescence emission of Ln3+ dopant ions (4f-4f transitions) was measured. The most intense transitions were observed at 544 nm, 573 nm, 612 nm and 632 nm for terbium, dysprosium, europium and praseodymium doped Lu2O3, respectively. The same emission patterns, which were observed during photoluminescence, were also observed in radioluminescence measurements. The presented results confirm the lanthanide-doped Lu2O3 as a promising material for the scintillation technology. Apart from Eu- and Tb-doped Lu2O3, the radioluminescence characterization of studied materials is published for the first time.