Decay dynamics of Eu3+/Tb3+ in solution-processed Y2O3

As new synthesis techniques are developed to create phosphors with smaller particles the physical processes that govern luminescence behaviors, like efficiency and decay rates, are influenced by the large surface-to-volume ratios of the nano-structured materials. Decay of lanthanide excited states, following pulsed laser excitation, is used to probe the affect of size-induced decay channels on the luminescent properties. We report results on the decay dynamics of europium and terbium excited states in solution-produced yttrium oxide. Radiative decay from the Eu3+ 5D0 state is found to be well described by a single exponential function image over a range of concentrations (0.01–2.0%). The Tb3+ 5D4 decay exhibits a distribution of decay rates over the concentration range 0.01–5.0%. The distribution of decay rates is discussed using a probability density function based on the Kohlrausch decay function.