Luminescence and Storage Properties of Sm-Doped Alkaline-Earth Atannates

The thermoluminescence, persistent luminescence and storage properties of Sm-doped alkaline-earth stannates, A 2 SnO 4 :Sm 3+ (A = Ca, Sr, Ba), are studied above room temperature. Different characteristic features of the thermoluminescence glow curves of A 2 SnO 4 :Sm 3+ are observed, which implicates A 2 SnO 4 :Sm 3+ could provide different potential applications. Ca 2 SnO 4 :Sm 3+ with suitable traps shows efficient persistent luminescence, the red persistent luminescence could be observed in the dark for about several hours. Sr 2 SnO 4 :Sm 3+ possesses relative deep traps fulfill the requirement of a good storage phosphor, and the different amount of the stored energy could be released under the various treatments (the excitation with 980/680 nm light or heating at 200°C). The extremely weak PL intensity of Ba 2 SnO 4 :Sm 3+ implies that it is inadequate applied as storage phosphor or afterglow phosphor. The decay time of afterglow increase in the order of Ba 2 SnO 4 :Sm 3+ < Sr 2 SnO 4 :Sm 3+ < Ca 2 SnO 4 :Sm 3+ . Our analysis indicates that the persistent luminescence properties of A 2 SnO 4 :Sm 3+ are governed by the cation vacancy, serve as the hole trap, which accept one hole to get stabilized.