Tuning Mn2+ luminescence in oxyfluoride glasses via Sc3+ doping

Mn-doped aluminosilicate oxyfluoride glasses containing various concentrations of Sc3+ ions were fabricated by a traditional melt-quenching method. Tunable Mn2+ luminescence from green to red was achieved with increase of Sc3+ doping content. A series of structural and spectroscopic characterizations evidenced that the Sc3+ dopants can induce the conversion of partial green-emitting [MnO4] tetrahedrons into red-emitting [MnO6] octahedrons in the glasses. This is attributed to the high cation-field-strength feature of Sc3+ ions in glass, which enables them to capture O2− from [SiO4] and [AlO4] tetrahedrons. Accordingly, it was demonstrated that the Mn2+ luminescence can be easily controlled by modifying lanthanide dopants (such as La3+, Y3+, Lu3+ and Sc3+) with distinct cation field strengths in the oxyfluoride glasses.