Optical absorption, luminescence, and energy transfer processes studies for Dy3+/Tb3+-codoped borate glasses for solid-state lighting applications

Abstract

By using melt quenching technique, good optical quality singly doped Dy3+ or Tb3+ and Dy3+/Tb3+-codoped borate glasses were synthesized and studied by optical absorption, excitation, emission and decay lifetimes curve analysis. Following the absorption spectrum, the evaluated Judd–Ofelt (J–O) intensity parameters (Ωλ (λ = 2, 4 and 6)) were used to calculate the transition probability (AR), the branching ratio (βR), and the radiative lifetime (τR) for different luminescent transitions such as 4I15/2 → 6H15/2, 4F9/2 → 6H15/2, 4F9/2 → 6H13/2, 4F9/2 → 6H11/2 and 4F9/2 → 6H9/2,6F11/2 for the 0.5 mol % singly Dy3+-doped glass. The βR calculated (65%) indicates that for lasing applications, 4F9/2 → 6H13/2 emission transition is highly suitable. For all the Dy3+/Tb3+-codoped glasses, Tb3+: 5D3→7F6 emission decay lifetime curves are found to be non-exponential in nature for different concentrations of Dy3+ codoping. Using the Inokuti-Hirayama model, these nonexponential decay curves were analyzed to identify the nature of the energy transfer (ET) processes and here the electric dipole–dipole interaction is dominant for the ET. Based on the excitation and emission spectra and decay lifetimes curve analysis, the cross relaxation and ET processes between Dy3+ and Tb3+ were confirmed. For the 0.5 mol % Tb3+ and 2.0 mol % Dy3+-codoped glass, the evaluated Tb3+→Dy3+ ET efficiency (η) is found to be 45% under 369 nm excitation. Further, for Tb3+/Dy3+ -codoped glasses, an enhancement of Tb3+ green emission is observed up to 1.5 mol % Dy3+ codoping, and this is due to the non-radiative resonant ET from Dy3+ to Tb3+ upon 395 nm excitation. For singly 0.5 mol % Dy3+ or 0.5 mol % Tb3+-doped glass, the calculated color coordinates (x,y) and correlated color temperatures (CCT) represent the neutral white or warm white light regions, whereas Dy3+/Tb3+-codoped glasses (x,y) and CCT values fall in the yellowish green region with respect to the different Dy3+ concentrations under 350 and 395 nm excitations. Following the analyzed optical data, the singly Dy3+ or Tb3+-doped and Dy3+/Tb3+-codoped glasses could be suggested as promising materials for their applications in solid state light emitting diodes and luminescent display devices.