On the energy transfer from Pr3+ to Gd3+ in nanosized LuPO4 particles

Abstract This work concerns a study of the energy transfer between Pr3+ and Gd3+ of co-doped nanoscale LuPO4 particles. Additionally, this work compares the photo- and radioluminescence of these particles, i.e. upon vacuum ultraviolet (λexc. = 160 nm) or X-ray (50 kV, 1.80 mA) excitation as well as temperature dependent and time dependent luminescence from 77 to 500 K. All investigated nanoscale particles have a mean size D50 of about 100 nm and were synthesized by a sedimentation nucleation method. For the energy transfer study, the concentration of Pr3+ was fixed to 1 %, since this doping level yielded the highest emission intensity, while the Gd3+ concentration was tuned between 0.1 and 20 %. It turned out that single phase Pr3+ and Gd3+ co-doped LuPO4 nanoparticles were obtained and that very efficient energy transfer from Pr3+ to Gd3+ was observed.