Study on photoluminescence and energy transfer of Eu3+/Sm3+ single-doped and co-doped BaB8O13 phosphors

A series of Sm3+, Eu3+ and Eu3+-Sm3+ doped BaB8O13 were synthesized by using a solution combustion method. When excited at 394 nm, BaB8O13: Eu3+ emits red light, and the strongest peak was located at 614 nm, which is attributed to the D-5(0) -> F-7(2) transition of Eu3+. BaB8O13: Sm3+ produced red-orange light, and the major emission peak was located at 596 nm under the 402 nm radiation excitation, which is assigned to the (4)G(5/2) -> H-6(7/2) transition of Sm3+. When excited at 402 nm, the PL emission intensity from BaB8O13: 0.05Eu(3+); 0.005Sm(3+) at 614 nm was enhanced considerably compared to that of the sample without Sm3+, suggesting that energy was transferred from Sm3+ to Eu3+. The Commission International de I'Eclairage (CIE) chromaticity coordinates of BaB8O13: 0.05Eu(3+); 0.005Sm(3+) powder phosphor (0.637, 0.362) are located in the red region indicating that the phosphor can serve as a source of red light in LEDs.