Structural and optical studies of cerium doped gadolinium oxide phosphor

Abstract

This research aims to study the influence of variation of doping concentration on various properties of Ce3+ doped Gd2O3 phosphor. The phosphors (Gd1−xCex)2O3 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.15) were successfully synthesized by the solution combustion method. The structural and optical properties of the prepared phosphors were studied. Rietveld refinement confirms the formation of the cubic phase. Fourier transform infrared spectra further confirm the formation of the phosphor. It is found that an enhancement in doping concentration of Ce3+ results in the expansion of the crystal lattice, leading to a reduction in crystallite size as well as in the optical band gap. Photoluminescence emission spectra are studied, and the exact emission colour is confirmed using 1931 Commission Internationale de l’Eclairage (CIE) chromaticity coordinates. The prepared phosphor exhibits bluish green emission corresponding to 5d–4f transitions of the trivalent cerium ion and can be used as a promising candidate in optical display applications and LED applications.