Nanostructured Eu 2O 3 doped Barium tungstate (BaWO 4) crystallites are successfully synthesized using pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique. The influence of different Eu 2O 3 doping concentrations (1,2,3 & 5 wt.%) on the structural, surface morphological and optical properties are systematically studied using XRD, micro-Raman, SEM, AFM, UV–vis and photoluminescence spectroscopy. All the films are polycrystalline with tetragonal scheelite structure. The vibrational analysis of the atoms in BaWO 4 is studied by micro-Raman spectra using factor group analysis. The surface morphological analysis by SEM and AFM reveals the presence of fine nanoparticles with distinct grain boundaries in all the films. The band gap energy variation in the Eu 2O 3 doped BaWO 4 films is in accordance with the variation of the sizes of nano particles in the films. The films with higher Eu 3+ doping concentrations (≥2 wt.%) show a PL emission peak centered around 614 nm when excited at 394 nm which can be attributed to the 5D 0 → 7F 2 (0–2) transition of Eu 3+ ion.