Photophysical and photoluminescence properties of co-activated ZnS:Cu,Mn phosphors

ZnS:Cu,Mn phosphors were prepared by conventional solid state reaction with the aid of NaCl-MgCl₂ flux at 900 °C. The samples were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, UV-vis absorbance spectra and photoluminescence spectra. All samples possess cubic structure. Cu has a much stronger effect on the absorption property of ZnS than Mn. Incorporation of Mn into ZnS host only slightly enhances the light absorption, while addition of Cu remarkably increases the ability of absorption due to ground state Cu⁺ absorption. The emission spectra of the ZnS:Cu,Mn phosphors consist of three bands centered at about 452, 520 and 580 nm, respectively. Introduction of Mn significantly quenches the green luminescence of ZnS:Cu. The excitation energy absorbed by Cu is efficiently transferred to Mn activators non-radiatively and the Mn luminescence can be sensitized by Cu behaving as a sensitizer (energy donor).     

Structural and optical properties of ZnO thin films prepared by sol-gel method with different thickness

In this work, ZnO thin films with different thickness were prepared by sol-gel method on glass substrates and the structural and optical properties of these films were studied by X-ray diffractometer, atomic force microscope, UV-visible spectrophotometer, ellipsometer and fluorophotometer, respectively. The structural analyses show that all the samples have a wurtzite structure and are preferentially oriented along the c-axis perpendicular to the substrate surface. The growth process of highly c-axis oriented ZnO thin films derived from sol-gel method is a self-template process. With the increase of film thickness, the structural disorder decreases and the crystalline quality of the films is gradually improved. A transition of crystal growth mode from vertical growth to lateral growth is observed and the transition point is found between 270 and 360 nm thickness. The optical analyses show that with the increase of film thickness, both the refractive index and ultraviolet emission intensity are improved. However, the transmittance in the visible range is hardly influenced by the film thickness, and the averages are all above 80%.     

Preparation and characterization of long persistence strontium aluminate phosphor

Long afterglow green phosphor SrAl₂O₄:Eu²⁺,Dy³⁺ is synthesized by a solid-state reaction method at 1350 °C under mild reducing atmosphere of activated carbon. The effects of B₂O₃ flux on the sintering dynamic process and the optimum concentrations of Eu²⁺ and Dy³⁺ for long-lasting bright luminescence property have been investigated. The effect of a small amount of charge compensators like Mg²⁺, Zn²⁺, Na⁺, and K⁺ on long persistence has also been studied. TG/DTA, SEM, and XRD have been used to characterize the synthesized phosphor.     

Synthesis and characterization of ZnS:Cu,Al phosphor prepared by a chemical solution method

A novel and simple synthesis route for the production of ZnS:Cu,Al sub-micron phosphor powder is reported. Both the host and activator cations were co-precipitated from an ethanol medium by mixing with a diluted ammonium sulfide solution. The co-precipitated ZnS:Cu,Al was in cubic zinc blende structure after an intermediate-temperature furnace annealing. Strong photoluminescent and cathodoluminescent (CL) emission were observed, which was attributed to the 3d¹⁰-3d⁹4s¹ radiative transition at those copper sites. At an accelerating voltage of 1 kV, the CL intensity of the co-precipitated ZnS:Cu,Al sample was recorded 94% of the commercial reference phosphor with the same composition made by high temperature solid-state-reaction method. The particle size of the co-precipitated phosphor powders was found to be controllable simply through adjusting the reactant concentrations. The particle size of the annealed samples was measured by dynamic light scattering, which showed a mean particle diameter between 200 and 700 nm depending on the co-precipitation conditions.     

Structural and photoluminescent properties of Ni doped ZnO nanorod arrays prepared by hydrothermal method

Self-assembled Ni-doped zinc oxide (Zn_1−xNi_xO, x = 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, i.e., ZnNiO, nominal composition) nanorod arrays vertically grown on the ZnO seed layer covered glass along [0 0 1] direction were synthesized by hydrothermal method. Their images and structures have been characterized by scan electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectra, showing that Ni doping is beneficial to the formation of ZnO nanorods with hexagonal cross section and the enhancement of ZnO crystal quality. X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) study further demonstrated that Ni atoms were successfully doped into ZnO lattices. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra of ZnNiO samples show near bandedge emission (NBE) peaks at about 380 nm at a low excitation power and the NBE peak position redshifts while its intensity continuously increases with the increase of Ni doping concentration. With the excitation power increasing, the NBE peak redshifts from 380 nm to about 400 nm for ZnNiO nanorod arrays. The NBE mechanisms for ZnNiO nanorod arrays have been discussed, which is helpful for understanding their room temperature ferromagnetisms.     

Synthesis and characterization of spherical and narrow size distribution indium oxide nanoparticles

This work reports the synthesis of indium oxide nanoparticles and their thermal, structural, microstructural and optical characterization. The preparation method is based on a surfactant-free room temperature soft chemistry route. Spherical indium oxide nanoparticles (about 8 nm in diameter) were obtained after thermal treatment of gels at 400 °C for 2 h, as shown by X-ray diffraction experiments and nitrogen adsorption measurements. Transmission electron microscopy observations confirm the single-crystalline nature of the produced nanoparticles. The photoluminescence emission spectrum at room temperature shows a broad peak with onset at approximately 315 nm as a result of quantum size effect as revealed by small-angle X-ray scattering.     

Enhanced optical and field emission properties of CTAB-assisted hydrothermal grown ZnO nanorods

We have developed a simple N-cetyl-N,N,N-trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB)-assisted hydrothermal route for the production of ZnO one-dimensional (1D) nanostructures on zinc foil at reaction temperature of 160 °C. With the increase of CTAB concentration, the one-dimensional structures change from microrod to a mixture of nano- and microrod and finally to nanorods. X-ray diffraction studies confirmed the proper phase formation of the grown nanostructures. The room temperature photoluminescence spectra showed that ZnO nanostructures prepared with increased CTAB concentration exhibited enhanced band edge UV emission and also blue shift of the emission peak. All the samples show no defect related green emission. Field emission property of the 1D structures has been investigated in detail. By tuning the CTAB concentration, the field emission property was optimized. The nanorods synthesized with high CTAB showed turn-on and threshold fields of 3.2 and 5 V/μm, respectively, which are comparable to the values for vapour phase synthesized high field emitting ZnO nanostructures.     

Preparation and luminescent properties of europium-doped yttria fibers by electrospinning

Sub-micrometer-sized fibers of europium-doped yttria (Y₂O₃:Eu³⁺) were prepared by electrospinning followed by high-temperature calcinations for the first time. The fibers were with diameters of 200-400 nm and lengths of several 10 μm and cubic in phase. The spectral properties of the Y₂O₃:Eu³⁺ fibers were studied, in contrast with those of bulk powders. The results indicated that in the present Y₂O₃:Eu³⁺ fibers the excited charge transfer band had slightly blue shift in comparison with that in the bulk due to weaker covalence of Eu-O bonds. In addition, both of the lifetimes of the ⁵D₁ and ⁵D₀ states in the fibers became shorter than that in the bulk due to improved nonradiative transition rates.     

Electron-vibrational interaction in 4f-5d optical transitions in Ba, Ca, Sr thiogallates doped with Eu ions

This study is devoted to the problem of the electron-vibrational interaction in 4f-5d optical transitions. We analyze the room temperature experimental data on the vibronically assisted broad bands arising from the 4f-5d transitions in Ba, Ca, and Sr thiogallates doped with Eu²⁺ ions. An approximate simple expression is given for the shape function of the broad vibronic bands with allowance for the terms corresponding to the emission (absorption) from both ground and first excited vibrational levels. We estimate the vibronic coupling parameters and the Stokes shifts for these systems. The theoretical results are in a good agreement with the experimental data.     

Structural, optical and electrical properties of Al-N codoped ZnO films by RF-assisted MOCVD method

N-doped ZnO films were produced using N₂ as N source by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) system which has been improved with radio-frequency (RF)-assisted equipments. The data of secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) indicate that the concentration of N in N-doped ZnO films is around 5 × 10²⁰ cm⁻³, implying that sufficient incorporation of N into ZnO can be obtained by RF-assisted equipment. On this basis, the structural, optical and electrical properties of Al-N codoped ZnO films were studied. Then, the effect of RF power on crystal quality, surface morphologies, optical properties was analyzed using X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy and photo-luminescence methods. The results illustrate that the RF plasma is the key factor for the improvement of crystal quality. Then the observation of A⁰X recombination associated with N_O acceptor in low-temperature PL spectrum proved that some N atoms have occupied the positions of O atoms in ZnO films. Hall measurements shown that p-type ZnO film deposited on quartz glasses was obtained when RF power was 150 W for the Al-N codoped ZnO films, while the resistivity of N-doped ZnO films was rather high. Compared with the Al-doped ZnO film, the obviously increased resistivity of codoped films indicates that the formation of N_O acceptors compensate some donors in ZnO films effectively.     

Preparation and spectroscopic properties of Nb2O5 nanorods

Nb₂O₅ nanorods have been prepared using water/ethanol media. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-visible absorption and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The as-prepared Nb₂O₅ nanorods appeared to be single pseudohexagonal (TT-Nb₂O₅) phase. From the photoluminescence spectrum, two emission bands at 407 and 496 nm, respectively, were observed. The origin of the luminescence was discussed in detail.     

Characterization of thermal, optical and carrier transport properties of porous silicon using the photoacoustic technique

In this work, the porous silicon layer was prepared by the electrochemical anodization etching process on n-type and p-type silicon wafers. The formation of the porous layer has been identified by photoluminescence and SEM measurements. The optical absorption, energy gap, carrier transport and thermal properties of n-type and p-type porous silicon layers were investigated by analyzing the experimental data from photoacoustic measurements. The values of thermal diffusivity, energy gap and carrier transport properties have been found to be porosity-dependent. The energy band gap of n-type and p-type porous silicon layers was higher than the energy band gap obtained for silicon substrate (1.11 eV). In the range of porosity (50-76%) of the studies, our results found that the optical band-gap energy of p-type porous silicon (1.80-2.00 eV) was higher than that of the n-type porous silicon layer (1.70-1.86 eV). The thermal diffusivity value of the n-type porous layer was found to be higher than that of the p-type and both were observed to increase linearly with increasing layer porosity.     

Synthesis and optical properties of KZnLa0.99Nd0.01(VO4)2 triple vanadate(V)—New promising laser materials

In an attempt to find a neodymium-vanadate system with long lifetime of ⁴F_3/2 level and relatively strong ⁴F_3/2→⁴I_11/2 emission for laser applications, the optical properties of Nd³⁺ in a new KZnLa(VO₄)₂ host is reported. The crystalline samples were obtained at 900 °C in air. The samples were crystallized in monoclinic system and were isostructural with KZnLa(PO₄)₂. KZnLa_0.99Nd_0.01(VO₄)₂ strongly emits in the near infrared range with the maxima at 871.6 and 1057 nm upon excitation through the ⁴F_5/2 level (808 nm) or by the charge transfer bands of VO₄³⁻. The lifetime of ⁴F_3/2 level of Nd³⁺ ion is larger than that observed in other neodymium-vanadates systems.     

Hydrothermal synthesis and luminescent properties of LnPO4:Tb,Bi (Ln=La,Gd) phosphors under UV/VUV excitation

Monoclinic LnPO₄:Tb,Bi (Ln=La,Gd) phosphors were prepared by hydrothermal reaction and their luminescent properties under ultraviolet (UV) and vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) excitation were investigated. LaPO₄:Tb,Bi phosphor and GdPO₄:Tb phosphor showed the strongest emission intensity under 254 and 147 nm excitation, respectively, because of the different energy transfer models. In UV region, Bi³⁺ absorbed most energy then transferred to Tb³⁺, but in VUV region it was the host which absorbed most energy and transferred to Tb³⁺.     

Synthesis and fluorescence study of sodium-2-(4′-dimethyl-aminocinnamicacyl)-3,3-(1′,3′-alkylenedithio) acrylate

We synthesized two new compounds: Sodium 2-(4′-dimethyl-aminocinnamicacyl)-3,3-(1′,3′- ethyl- enedithio) acrylate (STAA-1) and Sodium 2-(4′-dimethyl-aminocinnamicacyl)-3, 3-(1′,3′-propylenedithio) acrylate (STAA-2). The maximum absorption of these compounds ranges from 460 to 520 nm with different molecular structures in different solvents. Meanwhile, the emission peak of these compounds arranges from yellow (510 nm) to red (605 nm). The emission spectra show red shift according to the strength of the hydrogen bonding property of the solvent. But the absorption spectra do not show clearly relationship with the strength of the hydrogen bonding property of the solvent. The Stoke shift of the compounds ranges from 42 to 102 nm. It changes in the following order, EtOH>H₂O>DMF, and STAA-1>STAA-2 in the same solvent. The fluorescent quantum yield of STAA-1 was measured to be 7.12% with quinine sulphate as the standard compound in ethanol. Furthermore, the relationship of the fluorescence of STAA-1 with pH (ranges form 4 to 14) in water (c=∼10⁻⁴) was studied to make sure that these compounds could be used as proton sensors.     

Synthesis and luminescence behavior of Eu-doped CaF2 nanoparticles

Luminescent Ca_1−xF_2+x:Eu_x nanoparticles were synthesized by a chemical co-precipitation method in an ethanol solution. The Ca_1−xF_2+x:Eu_x nanoparticles exhibit a sphere-like morphology with particle diameter of about 15-20 nm. With increasing concentration of Eu³⁺ ion the intensity of XRD diffraction peaks decreased significantly and full width at half-maximum of the peaks increased gradually, which indicated that more Eu³⁺ ions resulted in the increase of structural defects. The emission spectrum of Ca_1−xF_2+x:Eu_x nanoparticles consisted of a few narrow, sharp lines corresponding to Eu³⁺ ions. The luminescence intensity of Ca_1−xF_2+x:Eu_x nanoparticles increased with increasing concentration of Eu³⁺ ion and reached a maximum at approximately 15 mol%.     

Lattice parameter and luminescence properties of europium activated yttrium oxide

Samples of yttrium oxide doped with trivalent europium have been prepared by ceramic techniques, under different synthesis conditions; barium chloride (BaCl₂) and sodium tetraborate (Na₂B₄O₇) were tested as flux. The improvement of luminescence properties in dependence on substitution of Eu³⁺ for Y³⁺ in the host lattice, under electron and UV excitations is demonstrated. The lattice parameter as a quantitative assessment of activator incorporation degree is proposed. The obtained results are discussed with respect to the employed processing method.     

Effect of zinc nitrate concentration on the structural and the optical properties of ZnO nanostructures

ZnO nanorods and nanodisks were formed on indium-tin-oxide-coated glass substrates by using an electrochemical deposition method. Scanning electron microscopy images showed that the ZnO nanorods were transformed into nanodisks with increasing Zn(NO₃)₂ concentration. X-ray diffraction patterns showed that the ZnO nanostructures had wurzite structures. The full widths at half maxima of the near band-edge emission peak of photoluminescence spectra at 300 K for ZnO nanorods were small, indicative of the high quality of the nanorods. These results indicate that the structural and the optical properties of ZnO nanostructures vary by changing Zn(NO₃)₂ concentration.     

The luminescent properties of CaYBO4:Ln(Ln=Eu, Tb) under UV-VUV range

The luminescent properties of CaYBO₄:Ln(Ln=Eu³⁺, Tb³⁺) were investigated under ultraviolet (UV) and vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) region. The CT band of Eu³⁺ at about 245 nm blue-shifted to 230 nm in VUV excitation spectrum; the band with the maximum at 183 nm was considered as the host lattice absorption. For the sample of CaYBO₄:0.08Tb³⁺, the bands at about 235 and 263 nm were assigned to the f-d transitions of Tb³⁺ and the CT band of Tb³⁺ was calculated according to Jφrgensen's theory. Under UV and VUV excitation, the main emission of Eu³⁺ corresponding to the ⁵D₀-⁷F₂ transition located at about 610 nm and two intense emission of Tb³⁺ from the ⁵D₄-⁷F₅ transition had been observed at about 542 and 552 nm, respectively. With the incorporation of Gd³⁺ into the host lattice of CaYBO₄, the luminescence of Tb³⁺ was enhanced while that of Eu³⁺ was decreased because of their different excitation mechanism.     

Three-photon upconversion luminescence phenomenon for the green levels in Er/Yb codoped cubic nanocrystalline yttria

In this paper, we observed that in Er³⁺/Yb³⁺ codoped nanocrystals (NC), with the decreasing particle size and the increasing Yb³⁺ concentration, the upconversion luminescence (UCL) of the red emissions of gradually increased, while the green emissions of gradually diminished under 980 nm diode laser excitation. In NC with lower Yb³⁺ concentration, both the red and green emissions result from a two-photon excitation. In NC with higher Yb³⁺ concentration, the red emissions result from a two-photon excitation, while the green emissions dominantly result from a three-photon excitation. A model was provided for explaining the above UCL phenomena.