Photoluminescence features of reddish-orange emitting Sm3+ doped Na3YSi2O7 phosphors

Abstract

In this work, we have investigated the effect of Sm3+ concentration, mainly on the luminescent features of Na3YSi2O7:Sm3+ phosphors for white-light-emitting diode (WLED) applications. A series of Na3Y1-xSi2O7:xSm3+ (where x = (0.005, 0.015, 0.03, 0.05, 0.07, 0.09) mol) phosphors were synthesized using a sol–gel technique, followed by detailed characterization with various techniques, such as X-ray diffraction, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, and photoluminescence spectroscopy. Additionally, the color purity of the phosphors was examined via CIE color coordinates. Following the diffuse reflectance spectrum, the optical band gap was evaluated for Na3Y0.985Si2O7:0.015Sm phosphor. The results showed that the Na3YSi2O7:Sm3+ phosphors could be efficiently excited by 403 nm NUV light, producing reddish-orange emission. Here, luminescence concentration quenching was identified beyond 0.015 mol Sm3+ ion doping content. The chromaticity coordinates of Na3Y0.0985Si2O7:0.015Sm were calculated to be (0.58, 0.41), which fall in the reddish-orange region. The present study suggests that Na3YSi2O7:Sm3+ phosphors could be a potential candidate for WLED applications.