Photoluminescence and ferroelectric properties in Eu doped Bi4Ti3O12-SrBi4Ti4O15 intergrowth ferroelectric ceramics

A series of Eu3+ doped intergrowth Bi4Ti3O12-SrBi4Ti4O15 (BIT-SBTi: xEu(3+)) (0.0 <= x <= 4) ceramics were prepared through a solid-state reaction method. Contrast with conventional ferroelectric (FE) research, here, we report the photoluminescence (PL) properties of BIT-SBTi: xEu(3+) system for the first time. Bright red emission was observed at room temperature. It should be noted that the red emission of BIT-SBTi: xEu(3+) can be excited by both blue light and near ultraviolet (NUV) radiation. Optimized emission intensity was obtained when x = 2 for BIT-SBTi: xEu(3+). Moreover, the FE and dielectric properties of BIT-SBTi: xEu(3+) were also investigated. BIT-SBTi: xEu(3+) with x = 0.7 ceramic exhibits optimized FE and dielectric behavior. The multifunctional properties of BIT-SBTi: xEu(3+) ceramics were confirmed in this work. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.