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Thulium Doped Phosphors Under VUV Excitation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Bernard Moine ,
Léna Beauzamy  and
Richard S. Meltzer
Bernard Moine
Affiliation:
moine@pcml.univ-lyon1.fr, LPCML, Villeurbanne, France
Léna Beauzamy
Affiliation:
beauzamy@gmail.fr, LPCML, Villeurbanne, France
Richard S. Meltzer
Affiliation:
rmeltzer@physast.uga.edu, University od Georgia, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Athens, Georgia, United States
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Abstract

Development of highly efficient mercury free fluorescent lamps and plasma display panels has been a challenging task due to the need for a combination of phosphor properties that are difficult to obtain in a single material (high efficiency, short emission lifetime and weak sensitivity to aging process under VUV excitation). Quantum cutting mechanism is a way to improve the fluorescence efficacy. Here we describe quantum cutting involving pairs of Tm3+ ions in KY3F10. Efficient excitation in the vacuum UV is initiated to the 5d state of Tm3+. This is followed by a cross relaxation energy transfer (CRET) involving the excited ion in the 5d state and nearby Tm3+ in the ground state, producing a pair of Tm3+ in excited states of the 4f13 configuration. Both ions can then emit photons. The excitation and reflection spectra are studied as a function of Tm3+ concentration and temperature. An unusual enhancement of the reflectivity at excitation wavelengths corresponding to the Tm3+ 5d absorption peaks is shown to arise from strong 5d→4f emission which is confirmed from the VUV emission spectra. The strong reduction of the integrated 5d emission intensity and shortening of its lifetime with Tm3+ concentration indicates the effective presence of the desired CRET process that is required for the first step of the quantum cutting. High Tm3+ concentrations are required for efficient quantum cutting. Whereas the CRET from the 5d state is estimated to be quite efficient, the 4f13 states of Tm3+ also undergo a strong CRET and therefore, emission from the 4f13 excited states that are created from the first step are strongly quenched at high Tm3+ concentrations. As a result, quantum yields greater than unity are not achieved.

Keywords

luminescenceoptical propertieslanthanide
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1111: Symposium D – Rare-Earth Doping of Advanced Materials for Photonic Applications , 2008 , 1111-D08-04
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2009

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References

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