Energy transfer from Tb3+ to Eu3+ ions sorbed on SrTiO3 surface

• Published in: Journal of luminescence Vol. 132; no. 5; pp. 1299 - 1306
• Main Authors: García-Rosales, G., Mercier-Bion, F., Drot, R., Lagarde, G., Roques, J., Simoni, E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.05.2012; Elsevier
• Subjects: Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Eu3; Exact sciences and technology; Optical properties and condensed-matter spectroscopy and other interactions of matter with particles and radiation; Optical properties of surfaces; Physics; Strontium titanate; Surface energy transfer; Tb3; TRLFS; Strontium titanate; Surface energy transfer; Eu3; Tb3; TRLFS; Terbium additions; Dipole dipole interaction; Powders; Fluorescence; Time resolved spectra; Tb; Luminescence decay; Sorption; Eu; Europium additions; Laser radiation; Surface properties; Strontium titanates; Impurity states; Energy transfer; Codoping
• ISSN: 0022-2313; 1872-7883
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jlumin.2011.11.034

The energy transfer at room temperature between Tb3+ and Eu3+ ions sorbed onto SrTiO3 powders is investigated, using Time-Resolved Laser-induced Fluorescence Spectroscopy (TRLFS). Several published works deal with the energy transfer between two lanthanide ions in co-doped matrices but it is the first time that transfer processes between two lanthanide ions sorbed on a solid surface is reported. The results show that the energy transfer between sorbed Tb3+ and Eu3+ ions on strontium titanate is a non-radiative process and follows a dipole–dipole type interaction. Moreover, the higher the acceptor ions Eu3+ concentration, the more efficient the energy transfer. It is shown that no energy migration between the Tb3+ donor ions occurs. A formalism based on the model of Inokuti–Hirayama is used and allows one to fit the non-exponential Tb3+ fluorescence decay. It is thus possible to evaluate the critical radius (R0) of the influence sphere of the sorbed Tb3+ ions. According to the previous works, two sorption sites are considered for the sorbed rare-earth. The calculated radii are similar to those obtained for other couples of donor–acceptor lanthanide ions reported in the literature.