Phosphate glasses with blue persistent luminescence prepared using the direct doping method

Abstract Phosphate glasses with the composition (90NaPO3-(10-x)Na2O-xNaF) (mol%) with x = 0 and 10 were prepared with blue persistent luminescence (PeL) using direct particles doping method. Commercial CaAl2O4:Eu2+,Nd3+ microparticles (MPs) with blue PeL were added in the glass melt at a lower temperature than the melting temperature. The PeL properties of the glasses were related to the diffusion of Al from the MPs to the glass occurring during the glass preparation, which was found to depend on the temperature at which the MPs are added in the melt and also on the time before casting the melt after adding the MPs. The glass with x = 0 can be prepared with homogeneous PeL if the MPs are added at 575 °C. This Tdoping temperature can be reduced to 550 °C by replacing Na2O by NaF in the glass.