Energy transfer based enhanced red emission intensity from (Eu3+, Tb3+):LFBCd optical glasses

Present paper reports on the red emission enhancement by means of an energy transfer process in Eu3+ co-doped with Tb3+ in LFBCd glasses. The structural and photoluminescence properties of these glasses have been carried out from the measurement of X-Ray diffraction, excitation and emission spectra and also from the red emission transition lifetime. The PL spectrum of Eu3+ doped LFBCd glass has revealed a bright red emission at 612 nm (D-5(0)-> F-7(2)) with an excitation at 393 nm (F-7(0)-> L-5(6)). With Tb3+ ion singly doped glass has shown a prominent green emission at 547 nm (D-5(4)-> F-7(5)) with an excited at lambda(exci)=377 nm (F-7(6)->(5)G(6)). LFBCd glasses having Eu3+ (1 mol%) co-doped with Tb3+ ion (in 0.1, 0.5, 1 mol%) at an excitation of lambda(exci)=377 nm, have exhibited an energy transfer from Tb3+ to Eu3+ ions hence causing an enhancement in red emission from Eu3+. The mechanism involved in this energy transfer process from terbium to europium ions has been explained in terms of an energy level diagram and from lifetime profiles. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.