Photoluminescence properties of (Gd1–xEux)Ba3B9O18 red emitting phosphors

Eu3+-activated GdBa3B9O18 phosphors were prepared by solid-state reaction at high temperature, and their photoluminescence (PL) properties were investigated. (Gd1–xEux)Ba3B9O18 formed solid solutions in the range x=0–1.0. The optical band gaps calculated from absorption spectra were 5.54 eV for GdBa3B9O18 and 5.17 eV for EuBa3B9O18. Unactivated GdBa3B9O18 exhibited a typical characteristic excitation and emission of Gd3+ ion. The (Gd1–xEux)Ba3B9O18 phosphors showed well-known Eu3+ excitation and emission. The energy transfer from Gd3+ to Eu3+ was verified with PL spectra. The dependence of PL intensity on Eu3+ concentration was also studied in detail. The luminescence decay measurements indicated that the lifetimes of 5D0→7F1 transition of Eu3+ were in the order of millisecond.