Sm3+-doped Ba3Bi(PO4)3 orange reddish emitting phosphor

Ba3Bi(PO4)(3) : Sm3+ phosphors were prepared via solid state reaction process. The crystal structure of the phosphor was characterized by XRD. The PL properties of Ba3Bi(PO4)(3) : Sm3+ were investigated. The optimized phosphor with the composition of Ba3Bi(PO4)(3) : 0.06Sm(3+) presents the several excitation bands from 300 to 500 nm, and exhibits very good luminescence properties. Under the excitation of ultraviolet 373, 401 and blue 467 nm, the phosphor presented red luminescence with dominating emissions at 563, 599, 646 and 709 nm, corresponding to (4)G(5/2) -> H-6(j) (J = 5/2, 7/2, 9/2 and 11/9) transitions, respectively. The critical distance was calculated to be 21.0 angstrom. The energy transfer type between Sm3+ ions was confirmed as the d-d interaction by using the Van Uitert model. The chromatic properties of the typical sample Ba3Bi(PO4)(3) : 0.06Sm(3+) phosphor have been found to have chromaticity coordinates of (0.59, 0.38), under the excitation of 401 nm. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.