Tailored Luminescence Output of Bi3+-Doped BaGa2O4 Phosphors with the Assistance of the Introduction of Sr2+ Ions as Secondary Cations

In this work, a tunable luminescence color from yellow to orange of photoluminescence (PL), long persistent luminescence (LPL), and photostimulated luminescence (PSL) is successfully achieved in BaGa2O4:Bi3+ phosphors with the introduction of Sr2+ ions as secondary cations. It is confirmed that broad-band emissions located at 500 and 600 nm originate from the occupation of Bi3+ ions at different lattice sites in the BaGa2O4 host matrix. The replacement of Sr2+ for Ba2+ ions makes the emission red-shift from 600 to 650 nm; moreover, two additional emissions appeare at 743 and 810 nm due to the occupational preference of Bi3+ ions at Ga3+ sites. Furthermore, the doped Sr2+ ions promote the reconstruction of the trapping centers, which conduces to the fundamental improvement of the optical storage capacity behavior of Bi3+-doped phosphors. Our results clarify the dependence of the luminescence performance on the crystal sites of Bi3+ ions with fascinating broad-band emissions in the BaGa2O4:0.01Bi3+ host matrix and will benefit the design and exploration of Bi3+-doped solid solutions for optical storage applications.