Effect of isoelectronic impurities K+ and I− on luminescence of CsBr:Eu2+ crystals

We have investigated the photoluminescence (PL) and photostimulated luminescence (PSL) spectra at 300 K to study the effect of isoelectronic impurities K⁺ and I⁻ on the formation and energy structure of Eu²⁺-V_Cs isolated dipole centers and aggregate centers in the form of single crystals of CsEuBr₃ in CsBr:Eu²⁺ single crystals. We have shown that K⁺ and I⁻ impurities in a concentration of 5 mol% do not have a substantial effect on the energy spectrum of isolated dipole centers in CsBr:Eu²⁺ single crystals and the processes for the formation of such centers during growth of CsBr:Eu single crystals from the melt by the Bridgman method. We have established that in Cs_0.95K^0.05Br:Eu²⁺, more favorable conditions are realized for the formation of aggregate centers than in CsBr:Eu²⁺ and CsBr^0.95K^0.05Br:Eu²⁺ single crystals. So in order to improve the storage properties of phosphors based on CsBr:Eu²⁺, in particular for increasing the efficiency of PSL excitation, it is expedient to dope them with K⁺ impurity in a concentration up to 5 mol%. __________ Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 74, No. 5, pp. 627–630, September–October, 2007.