Synthesis and luminescence properties of Y2Ti2O7: Tm3+ phosphor

Y2Ti2O7: xTm(x=0.005, 0.01, 0.03, 0.05) phosphors were prepared by sol-gel method and sintered at different temperatures. The structure, morphologies, and luminescence properties of samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), TEM, and fluorescence spectrophotometer, respectively. The XRD patterns indicate that the structure of samples belongs to pyrochlore structure, and is not changed by the doping of Tm3+. Blue emissions centered at 456 nm, corresponding to 1D2→ 3F4 transition of Tm3+, are detected under 361 nm excitation. The best luminescence performance is derived when the sintering temperature is 1 000℃ for Y2Ti2O7: 0.01Tm3+. Furthermore, the emission intensity at 456 nm increases and then decreases with the increasing of Tm3+ concentration. The most intense emission is obtained when the mole fraction of Tm3+ is 1%, which indicates that the concentration quenching happens when the mole fraction of Tm3+ exceeds 1%. ©, 2015, Chines Academy of Sciences. All right reserved.