Structural and down-conversion luminescence of Ce3+ and Yb3+ doped NaY(MoO4)2 phosphor

Novel efficient visible and near-infrared emitting phosphors NaY(MoO 4 ) 2 (NYM):Ln 3+ (Ln = Ce and Yb) were proposed in this work. The crystal structure, lattice vibration characteristics, morphology, and luminescent properties of NaY(MoO 4 ) 2 phosphors were described. Sensitization of Ln 3+ from the host with various doping concentrations was investigated. The yellow-green emission was achieved in Ce 3+ single-doped NYM phosphors at UV ultraviolet excitation sensitized by the MoO 4 2− group. Under UV excitation, characteristic emissions of Ce 3+ at 400–700 nm and Yb 3+ at 1000 nm of NYM:Ce,Yb were observed, enabling the spectral down-conversion applications. With the increasing concentration of Yb 3+ , the emission intensity as well as the lifetime of Ce 3+ decreased, confirming the energy transfer from Ce 3+ ions to Yb 3+ ions. And the energy transfer coefficient was 27% for NYM:0.01Ce,0.10Yb phosphor. These results indicate that the as-prepared phosphors have potential applications in optical and photonic devices.