ATOMIC, MOLECULAR & OPTICAL PHYSICS | RESEARCH ARTICLE

1 Abstract: Eu 3+ doped MLa 2 O 4 (M = Mg, Ca, Sr) nanophosphors were synthesized by a rapid facile gel combustion route. Luminescence properties of these prepared nano- phosphors were analyzed by their excitation and emission spectra. The excitation spectrum consisted of some peaks in the 350-410 nm range due to the f-f transi- tions. The emission spectra of prepared nanophosphors had transitions of Eu 3+ ions i.e. 5 D 0 → 7 F 0 (580 nm), 5 D 0 → 7 F 1 (594-596 nm), 5 D 0 → 7 F 2 (614-618, 628-629 nm), and 5 D 0 → 7 F 3 (650-651 nm). The main emission peak was observed at 614-618 nm of 5 D 0 → 7 F 2 transitions of Eu 3+ ions. The enhancement in optical properties was observed when materials were reheated at higher temperatures. The nanostructural morphology was confirmed with scanning as well as transmission electron microscopy. The prepared materials were having size in the range of 10-50 nm. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) technique was used to determine the crystal struc- ture and phase of the prepared phosphor materials. XRD measurements revealed that the crystallinity of MLa 2 O 4 materials increased with increasing the sintering temperature. The prepared materials had bright red emitting optical properties that could be suitably applied in various display devices.