Synthesis and photoluminescence properties of Eu3+ -activated Ba2 Mg(PO4 )2 phosphor.

In this paper, we have reported the photoluminescence (PL) properties of the Ba2 Mg(PO4 )2 :Eu3+ phosphor synthesized using a wet chemical method. The preliminary scanning electron microscopy (SEM) investigation of the sample revealed irregular surface morphology with particle sizes in the 10-50 μm range. The strongest PL excitation peak was observed at 396 nm. The emission spectra indicated that this phosphor can be effectively excited by the 396 nm wavelength. Upon 396 nm excitation, the emission spectrum showed characteristics peaks located at 592 nm and 615 nm. These intense orange-red emission peaks were obtained due to f→f transitions of Eu3+ ions. The emission peak at 592 nm is referred to as the magnetic dipole 5 D0 →7 F1 transition and the emission peak at 615 nm corresponded to the electric dipole 5 D0 →7 F2 transition of Eu3+ . The Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage (CIE) coordinates of the Ba2 Mg(PO4 )2 :Eu3+ phosphor were found to be (0.586, 0.412) for wavelength 592 nm and (0.680, 0.319) for wavelength 615 nm situated at the edge of the CIE diagram, indicating high colour purity of phosphors. Due to the high emission intensity and a good excitation profile, Eu3+ -doped Ba2 Mg(PO4 )2 phosphor may be a promising orange-red phosphor candidate for solid-state lighting applications.