Quantum cutting and tunable luminescence properties in Pr3+/Sm3+, Yb3+ co-doped SrMoO4 powders

Abstract Pr3+, Yb3+ and Sm3+, Yb3+ co-doped SrMoO4 phosphors have been prepared via high temperature solid-state reaction method. The quantum cutting based on Sm3+,Yb3+ couple results in a new emission band at 1000 nm and the quantum cutting based on Pr3+,Yb3+ couple realizes a broad near-infrared emission of about 76 nm in full width at half maximum, centered at 1000 nm. Meanwhile the near infrared emission intensity for Sm3+, Yb3+ and Pr3+, Yb3+ co-doped SrMoO4 phosphors have also been increased by 2.1 and 1.8 times, with 36.5% and 9.6% energy transfer efficiencies from Sm3+ to Yb3+ and Pr3+ to Yb3+, respectively. The result provides a meaningful reference for designing broad-band near infrared phosphors or tunable near infrared laser materials.