Luminescence characteristics of Dy3+ incorporated zinc borate powders

Abstract We have synthesized powder samples of Dy 3+ doped zinc borates by nitric acid method. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM) techniques were utilized to examine the structure and morphological observation of the samples. Luminescence characteristics of the samples were investigated using room temperature (RT) cathodoluminescence (CL) and radioluminescence (RL) measurements under excitation with electron beam and X-rays, respectively. The presence of small amounts of Dy 3+ incorporated in the host lattice does not affect the structure of the prepared samples remarkably. The CL and RL spectra showed the characteristic emissions of Dy 3+ (magnetic dipole transition of 4 F 9/2 → 6 H 11/2 Blue; forced electric dipole transition of 4 F 9/2 → 6 H 13/2 Yellow; 4 F 9/2 → 6 H 11/2 Red; 4 F 9/2 →( 6 H 9/2 + 6 H 11/2 ) infrared). Thermoluminescence (TL) method was also conducted to determine the effects of various concentrations of Dy 3+ on the TL properties of ZnB 2 O 4 . The TL glow peak of beta irradiated ZnB 2 O 4 :Dy 3+ phosphors is a well-defined and centered at around 96 °C with a constant heating rate of 2 °C/s. Initial rise method was employed to observed main TL glow curve for determining the activation energy ( E a ) and the frequency factor ( s ).