Properties of Tb-doped vacuum-sintered Lu2O3 storage phosphor

Tb3+-doped Lu2O3 sintered ceramics were prepared in vacuum and in air. It was shown that the vacuum-sintered disks are able to store energy when irradiated with 300-nm or shorter photons. A small part of the stored energy could be recovered with 980-nm light. A much more significant amount of the stored energy could be released with red 647-nm photons. However, recovering the total stored energy could be accomplished only upon heating up to about 300 degreesC. Changes in absorption of the raw materials upon ultraviolet irradiation and subsequent IR (980 and 647 nm) treatments or upon heating at 300 degreesC are presented and discussed. A model for energy storing and recovering through the various IR irradiations or through heating is presented. At least two distinct ways of hole trapping as Tb4+ or V-k-center as well as creation of F and F+ is suggested. (C) 2003 American Institute of Physics.