Synthesis and emission properties of Ca3Nb2O8:Sm3+ phosphor and the emission improvement by Li+ ion

Ca 3 Nb 2 O 8 :Sm 3+ phosphor is synthesized by solid-state reaction method in air. Host Ca 3 Nb 2 O 8 emits blue light with excitation 260 and 314   nm, and its emission band peaking at ∼460   nm is attributed to the 3 T 1,2   →   1 A 1 transations in [Nb 2 O 8 6− ] group. Ca 3 Nb 2 O 8 :Sm 3+ phosphor with excitation 314   nm shows a systematically tunable emission by adjusting Sm 3+ ion concentration , and only emits reddish-orange light with excitation 407   nm. Excitation band indicates that Ca 3 Nb 2 O 8 :Sm 3+ phosphor may be effectively excited by (∼407   nm) near ultraviolet light-emitting diode chip. The optimal Sm 3+ ion concentration is ∼5   mol% in Ca 3 Nb 2 O 8 :Sm 3+ phosphor. Emission intensity of Ca 3 Nb 2 O 8 :Sm 3+ phosphor may be increased ∼1.4 times by co-doping Li + ions as charge compensator and fluxing agent roles. The experimental results will contribute to studying novel Sm 3+ -doped luminescent materials.