Photoluminescence properties of MgAl2O4:Dy3+ powder phosphor

Trivalent dysprosium (Dy3+) activated magnesium alluminate phosphors were synthesized by high temperature solid state reaction method. X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), photoluminescence (PL) spectra as well as lifetimes were used to characterize the resulting phosphors. The results show that the obtained MgAl2O4:Dy3+ phosphors have good crystallinity, spherical morphology with sizes ranged from 120 to 140 nm and strong blue emission under an excitation of 258 nm. The emission spectrum of this phosphor consists of two emission bands: blue band and yellow band, and the emission intensity of the former is stronger than that of the later. Luminescence quenching is explained and the corresponding luminescence mechanisms have been proposed. (C) 2009 Published by Elsevier B.V.