Novel SrGd2Al2O7:Mn4+, Nd3+, and Yb3+ phosphors for c-Si solar cells

Dual-emission center ratiometric optical thermometer based on Bi3+ and Mn4+ co-doped SrGd2Al2O7 phosphor

In recent years, more and more attention has been paid to optical temperature sensing, and how to improve its accuracy is the most important issue. Herein, a new temperature sensing material, SrGd2Al2O7:Bi3+,Mn4+, based on fluorescence intensity ratio was designed in this work. It has both blue-purple and red luminescence under 300 nm excitation, and the dual-emitting centers with distinct colors, the different thermal sensitivities of Bi3+ and Mn4+, and the energy transfer between Bi3+ and Mn4+ give it excellent signal resolution and accurate temperature detection. The Sa of SrGd2Al2O7:0.04Bi3+,0.003Mn4+ phosphor reaches a maximum value of 8.573% K-1 at 473 K, and the corresponding Sr is 1.927% K-1, both of which are significantly better than those of most other reported optical temperature sensing materials. Taking all the results into account, the SrGd2Al2O7:0.04Bi3+,0.003Mn4+ phosphor can be regarded as a prominent FIR-type temperature sensing material.

Strategy to probe multimodal light emissions from Eu3+/Yb3+ activated garnet nanophosphors for LED devices and solar cell applications

This study investigates multimodal light emission from an Eu3+/Yb3+ activated Y3Ga5O12 (YGG) nanophosphor synthesized using a low temperature solution combustion method. The prepared sample possesses a cubic phase and an Ia3̄d space group and this is confirmed with X-ray diffraction and Rietveld refinement analysis. The synthesized sample shows orange-red emission bands because of the f-f transitions of Eu3+ under UV (393 nm) and NIR (980 nm) excitations via downshifting (DS) and upconversion (UC) processes, respectively. Upon UV (393 nm) excitation of the sample, the Eu3+ ions absorb this energy and then transfer it to a neighboring pair of Yb3+ ions giving NIR emission (900-1100 nm) corresponding to the 2F5/2 → 2F7/2 transition of Yb3+. The energy transfer from a single Eu3+ ion to a pair of Yb3+ ions is possible because of the quantum cutting (QC) process and this energy transfer efficiency is found to increase with the increasing concentration of the Yb3+. The quantitative estimation of energy transfer and internal quantum cutting efficiency is determined by measuring the decay kinetics. An activation energy of 0.25 eV indicates the good thermal stability of the sample. Furthermore, samples are suitable for use in practical applications in lighting devices by combining them with the near-ultraviolet (NUV; InGaN) chip. The fabricated LED device shows stability with the driving current flow values. Studies indicate that the present nanophosphor could be useful for display devices, and in enhancing the spectral conversion efficiency of the solar cells.

Development of NaY9Si6O26:Yb3+ phosphors with high thermal stability for NIR anti-counterfeiting: study of its crystal structure and luminescent properties

Near-infrared (NIR) radiation has generated considerable industrial and research interest. However, NIR phosphors for this are limited by low quantum efficiency and broad spectra. Rare-earth-containing compounds doped with activators as host systems for NIR phosphors may resolve these limitations. Yb³⁺-doped NaY₉Si₆O₂₆ phosphors were synthesized using a conventional solid-state reaction method. The main phase of the synthesized phosphor samples exhibited a hexagonal structure NaY₉Si₆O₂₆ phase, and had an angular-shape with an average grain size of 1-3 μm. The NaY₉Si₆O₂₆:Yb³⁺ phosphors showed a near-infrared emission from 950 to 1100 nm, which was attributed to the ²F_5/2 → ²F_7/2 transition of Yb³⁺ ions under 270 and 920 nm excitation. The excitation spectra, recorded by monitoring the emission at 985 nm, showed two bands in the ultraviolet and infrared regions, which correspond to the charge transfer transition and the ²F_7/2 → ²F_5/2 transition of Yb³⁺ ions. At 300 °C, the emission intensity of the NaY₉Si₆O₂₆:Yb³⁺ phosphor remained constant at 82%. Furthermore, the thermal degradation was negligible after cooling, suggesting the possibility of application in advanced anti-counterfeiting applications.

Double Perovskite Mn4+-Doped La2CaSnO6/La2MgSnO6 Phosphor for Near-Ultraviolet Light Excited W-LEDs and Plant Growth

Non-rare earth doped oxide phosphors with far-red emission have become one of the hot spots of current research due to their low price and excellent physicochemical stability as the red component in white light-emitting diodes (W-LEDs) and plant growth. Herein, we report novel Mn⁴⁺-doped La₂CaSnO₆ and La₂MgSnO₆ phosphors by high-temperature solid-phase synthesis and analyzed their crystal structures by XRD and Rietveld refinement. Their excitation spectra consist of two distinct excitation bands with the dominant excitation range from 250 to 450 nm, indicating that they possess strong absorption of near-ultraviolet light. Their emission is located around 693 and 708 nm, respectively, and can be absorbed by the photosensitive pigments Pr and Pfr, proving their great potential for plant growth. Finally, the prepared samples were coated with 365 nm UV chips to fabricate far-red LEDs and W-LEDs with low correlation color temperature (CCT = 4958 K/5275 K) and high color rendering index (R_a = 96.4/96.6). Our results indicate that La₂CaSnO₆:Mn⁴⁺ and La₂MgSnO₆:Mn⁴⁺ red phosphors could be used as candidate materials for W-LED lighting and plant growth.