Green and red emission for (K0.5Na0.5)NbO3:Pr ceramics

The photoluminescence properties of Pr-doped K0.5Na0.5NbO3 (KNN) ceramics were prepared by the solid-state reaction method and investigated as a function of Pr concentration and sintering temperature. The excitation band ranging from 430 to 500 nm covers the emission wavelength of all commercial blue light-emitting diode chips. The photoluminescence spectra of KNN: Pr exhibit strong green (528 nm) and red (617 nm and 650 nm) emissions. The optimum doping concentration of Pr in KNN is 0.5 mol. %, and the optimized sintering temperature is 1170 degrees C. In addition to the admirable intrinsic piezoelectric properties of KNN, Pr-doped KNN may take an important role in many fields as a multifunctional material. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3686193]