Optical spectroscopy and thermal quenching of the Ce3+ luminescence in yttrium oxysulfate, Y2O2[SO4]

• Published in: Optical materials Vol. 30; no. 10; pp. 1499 - 1503
• Main Authors: Srivastava, A.M., Setlur, A.A., Comanzo, H.A., Gao, Y., Hannah, M.E., Hughes, J.A., Happek, U.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.06.2008; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Ce3; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Exact sciences and technology; Free oxygen ions; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Luminescence; Optical materials; Optical properties and condensed-matter spectroscopy and other interactions of matter with particles and radiation; Optics; Other luminescence and radiative recombination; Physics; Thermal quenching; Y2O2 [SO4]; Ce3; Y2O2 [SO4]; Free oxygen ions; Thermal quenching; 78.60; Luminescence; Optical spectrometry; Stokes shift; Photoluminescence; Doped materials; Crystal field; Quantum yield; Heat treatments; Lifetime; Yttrium Oxides sulfates; Photoionization; Emission spectra; Ambient temperature; 78.60 Luminescence; Cerium additions; Excitation spectrum; Optical materials; Quaternary compounds
• ISSN: 0925-3467; 1873-1252
• DOI: 10.1016/j.optmat.2007.09.003

Photoluminescence and excitation spectrum of Ce3+ activated yttrium oxysulfate, Y2O2[SO4] has been investigated in the 10–300K temperature region. The Stokes shift of the Ce3+ emission is small (0.3eV). The crystal field splitting and the centroid shift of the Ce3+ 5d state have been derived from the low temperature excitation spectrum. At room temperature, the quantum efficiency of the Ce3+ emission is low. The thermal quenching of Ce3+ lifetime observed for T>200K is attributed to the photoionization of the Ce3+ 5d electron. In Y2O2[SO4], the Ce3+ ions are coordinated with four “free” oxygen ions, which do not occur in the coordination polyhedra of the [SO4]2− groups. We present evidence from this work and from the data presented in the archival literature that the Ce3+ luminescence efficiency is low at room or slightly above room temperature in materials, which offer “free” oxygen ions in the first coordination sphere of the Ce3+ ion.