Reddish-orange,neutral and warm white emissions in Eu3+, Dy3+ and Dy3+/Eu3+ doped CdO-GeO2-TeO2 glasses

Eu³⁺, Dy³⁺ and Dy³⁺/Eu³⁺ doped CdO-GeO₂-TeO₂ glasses were prepared using the melt-quenching process and analyzed by X-diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, excitation and emission spectra, and emission decay time profiles. The lack of X ray diffraction peaks revealed that all samples are amorphous. Vibrational modes associated with TeOTe and GeOGe related bonds and molecular oxygen were detected by Raman spectroscopy. The luminescence characteristics were studied upon excitations that correspond with the emission of InGaN (370–420 nm) based LEDs. The Eu³⁺ singly doped glass displayed reddish-orange global emission, with x = 0.601 and y = 0.349 CIE1931 chromaticity coordinates, upon 393 nm excitation. Neutral emission with x = 0.373 and y = 0.412 CIE1931 chromaticity coordinates and correlated color temperature (CCT) of 4400 K, was achieved in the Dy³⁺ singly doped glass excited at 388 nm. The Dy³⁺/Eu³⁺ co-doped glass exhibited warm, neutral and soft warm white emissions with CCT values of 3435, 4153 and 2740 K, under excitations at 382, 388 and 393 nm, respectively, depending mainly on the Dy³⁺ and Eu³⁺ relative excitation. The Dy³⁺ excitation bands observed in the Dy³⁺/Eu³⁺ glass by monitoring the 611 nm Eu³⁺ emission, suggest that Dy³⁺ → Eu³⁺ energy transfer takes place, despite the fact that the Dy³⁺ emission decays in the Dy³⁺ and Dy³⁺/Eu³⁺ doped glass, remain without changes. The shortening of Eu³⁺ decay in presence of Dy³⁺ was attributed to an Eu³⁺ → Dy³⁺ non-radiative energy transfer process, which according with the Inokuti-Hirayama model might be dominated through an electric quadrupole-quadrupole interaction, with efficiency and probability of 5.5% and 51.6 s⁻¹, respectively.