Luminescence tuning of Ce³⁺, Pr³⁺ activated (Y,Gd)AGG system by band gap engineering and energy transfer

Tuning of phosphor luminescence properties, including the emission energy/intensity and thermal stability, is an important way to develop superior luminescent materials for diverse applications. In this work, we discuss the effect of band gap engineering and energy transfer on the luminescence properties of Ce³⁺ or Pr³⁺ doped (Y,Gd)AGG systems, and analyze the underlying reasons for their different phenomena. By using VUV-UV excitation spectra and constructing VRBE schemes, the changes of host band structure, 5d excited level energies and emission thermal stability of Ce³⁺ and Pr³⁺ with the incorporation of Gd³⁺ ions were studied. In addition, the energy transfer dynamics was also investigated in terms of the luminescence decay curves. This work demonstrates a way to tune phosphor luminescence properties by combining band gap engineering and energy transfer tailoring and provides an inspiring discussion on the different results of Gd³⁺ doping on the Ce³⁺ and Pr³⁺ emissions.