Photon cascade luminescence from Pr3+ ions in LiPrP4O12 polyphosphate

The spectral-kinetic properties of luminescence from LiY 1− x Pr x P 4 O 12 ( x = 1, 0.1) phosphors are studied in the 10–300 K temperature range upon excitation within the UV–VUV spectral range. The luminescence observed for LiPrP 4 O 12 at low temperatures is attributed to both intra-configurational 4f 2 → 4f 2 and inter-configurational 4f5d → 4f 2 radiative transitions of Pr 3+ . The temperature dependence of emission and the decay kinetics of Pr 3+ luminescence from LiY 1− x Pr x P 4 O 12 ( x = 1, 0.1) phosphors are explained by temperature stimulated transitions from the 1 S 0 to the Pr 3+ 4f5d state. At low temperatures, the energy potential barrier between the 1 S 0 and 4f5d states is 0.014 eV for LiPrP 4 O 12 . The spectral overlap of the 1 S 0 and 4f5d states of Pr 3+ in LiY 0.9 Pr 0.1 P 4 O 12 determines the luminescence properties in the entire temperature range studied.