Sensitized fluorescence of Ce3+/Mn2+ system in phosphate glass

The preparation of sodium phosphate glasses singly and doubly doped with rare earth ion Ce3+ and transition metal ion Mn2+ by a melt quench method is described. The spectroscopic characterizations of the samples are conducted by absorption, excitation, and emission spectra. The orange red emission of divalent manganese sensitized by trivalent cerium ions in a phosphate glassy matrix has been investigated. Energy transfer (ET) from optically excited Ce3+ to Mn2+ in sodium phosphate glass, by nonradiative process is confirmed by fluorescence studies with various activator concentrations. The mechanism of ET is mainly electric dipole-dipole in nature. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.