Luminescence and energy transfer in Dy3+/Eu3+ co-doped aluminosilicate oxyfluoride glasses and glass-ceramics

Abstract

A series of oxyfluoride glasses with the composition SiO2–CaF2–Al2O3–CaO, doped with Dy2O3 (0.5–1 mol%) and Eu2O3 (0–4 mol%), have been prepared using the melt quenching method. The glass-ceramics have been obtained by heating the as-made glasses at 680 °C and 750 °C for 1 h. The glasses and the glass-ceramics were investigated using photoluminescence techniques in the near-UV and visible ranges, and differential thermal analysis (DTA) and x-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements were performed. The samples doped with 0.5 mol% Dy3+ were observed to have the highest luminescence intensity under 453 nm excitation compared to the samples doped with 1 mol% Dy3+ and the co-doped samples. The increased luminescence intensity could be caused by energy transfer between rare-earth (RE) ions and cross-relaxation of Dy3+ ions. Energy transfer from Dy3+ to Eu3+ ions in the glasses and the glass-ceramics was confirmed by excitation spectra and luminescence decay kinetics. The average luminescence lifetimes of the Dy3+ emission band at 575 nm under 453 nm excitation decrease with the addition of Eu3+ ions. Energy transfer in the glasses and the glass-ceramics was estimated to be in the range from 11% to 68%, depending on the RE ion concentration.