Pressure-induced Co2+ photoluminescence quenching in MgAl2O4

This work investigates the electronic structure and photoluminescence (PL) of Co2+-doped MgAl2O4 and their pressure dependence by time-resolved spectroscopy. The variations of the visible absorption band and its associated emission at 663 nm (tau = 130 ns at ambient conditions) with pressure/temperature can be explained on the basis of a configurational energy model. It provides an interpretation for both the electronic structure and the excited-state phenomena yielding photoluminescence emission and the subsequent quenching. We show that there is an excited-state crossover (ESCO) [T-4(1)(P) <-> E-2(G)] at ambient pressure, which is responsible for the evolution of the emission spectrum from a broadband emission between 300 K and 100 K to a narrow-line emission at lower temperatures. Contrary to expectations from the Tanabe-Sugano diagram, instead of enhancing ESCO phenomena, pressure reduces PL and even suppresses it (PL quenching) above 6 GPa. We explain such variations in terms of pressure-induced nonradiative relaxation to lower excited states: E-2(G) -> T-4(1)(F). The variation of PL intensity and its associated lifetime with pressure supports the proposed interpretation.