Luminescence and energy transfer of Ce3+ and Tb3+ in Y3Si2O8Cl

The luminescence properties of Ce3+ and Tb3+ in Y3Si2O8Cl have been investigated. The Ce3+ excitation bands in the region from 220 to 360 nm are attributed to the transitions from 4f level to the crystal-field splitting levels of 5d. The Tb3+ excitation bands in the region from 220 to 280 nm are due to the 4f–5d transitions. The spectral energy distributions of Tb3+ emission strongly depend on the Tb3+ concentration, the 5D3 emissions of Tb3+ decrease with increasing Tb3+ concentration, this phenomenon is due to the cross-relaxation between Tb3+ ions. The efficient energy transfer from Ce3+ to Tb3+ in the Y3Si2O8Cl is observed and discussed.