Emission property and energy transfer in Ce3+ and Tb3+ co-doped CaHfO3 phosphor

We investigated the emission property of Ce3+ and Tb3+ co-doped CaHfO3 phosphor. Using photoluminescence and photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy, we found that as a result of the energy transfer from Ce3+ to Tb3+, the visible emission intensity of Tb3+ increased dramatically with near ultraviolet (UV) light excitation, and consequently, the colors of our phosphors were tuned from blue to green/yellow and through to white. The temperature dependent emission measurement revealed that the energy transfer from Ce3+ to Tb3+ in the near UV region could be more efficient at low temperatures.