Electric-field-modulated photoluminescence performance of Sm/Mn-codoped AgNbO3 antiferroelectric ceramics

The electric-field-modulated photoluminescence ( E -PL) performance of rare-earth-doped ferroelectric (FE) materials has been widely studied. However, the hysteresis effect in FE materials limits the tunability of E -PL modulation. Antiferroelectric (AFE) materials possess a reversible AFE-FE phase transition, inducing changes in crystal structure that can significantly affect the E -PL intensity. In this work, Sm/Mn-codoped silver niobate ceramics (ASMN x , x = 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2) were fabricated via the tape-casting method, and the AFE properties, thermal stability, and E -PL performance were systematically investigated. The results show that the addition of Sm and Mn ions effectively inhibits the growth of grains and enhances the AFE properties. Upon irradiation at 480 nm, the samples exhibit a down-conversion PL effect, and the PL intensity increases with increasing Sm 3+ doping concentration. The in situ modulation of the PL intensity is reversibly achieved through the E -induced AFE-FE phase transition. Among them, ASMN1 shows the best tunability of −30.18% at 300 kV cm −1 . The excellent E -PL tunability in the lead-free ASMN x ceramics contributes to the broad applications in optical information storage, optical communication, and multifunctional optoelectronic devices.