Tm3+ doped barium molybdate: A potential long-lasting blue phosphor

Abstract

Molybdates have applications in various fields such as phosphors, optical fibers, scintillators, magnets, sensors and catalysts. Thulium ion is an excellent blue activator and plays an important role in the design of persistent luminescent materials. This paper reports the investigation of the structural and luminescent properties of Barium Thulium Molybdate (Ba1-xTmx)MoO4 microcrystals (with x = 0, 0.01 or 0.03). The scheelite-type crystalline structure was identified from XRD and Raman studies. Under ultraviolet (359 nm) excitation, photoluminescence (PL) spectra present the characteristic emission bands at 453 nm and 545 nm which are due to the D-1(2) -> F-3(4) and D-1(2) -> H-3(4,5) transitions, respectively, from Tm3+ ions. Thermoluminescence (TL) measurements were performed with powdered samples previously irradiated with beta radiation. The depth of traps, associated with trap levels located inside the band-gap, was determined from TL data using different methods of glow curve analysis. The kinetic parameters, determined from thermoluminescent glow curves, provide evidence about a possible persistent luminescence emission from the (Ba0.97Tm0.03)MoO4 sample. This is a potential blue-light or ultraviolet long-lasting phosphor, with a trapping level lifetime, at room-temperature (300 K), of about 6 days. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.