Investigation on the luminescence properties and mechanism of a novel Pr3+-based red persistent luminescence phosphor Cd3Ga2Ge3O12:Pr3+

Abstract

In this paper, a novel red-emitting persistent phosphor, Cd₃Ga₂Ge₃O₁₂:Pr³⁺, was successfully synthesized by the traditional method of a solid-phase reaction. The phase purity, photoluminescence, and persistent luminescence were successfully studied in detail. It was revealed that the photoluminescence spectra of as-prepared samples exhibit a series of emission peaks centered at 478, 561, 610, and 660 nm, corresponding to the ³P₀ → ³H₄, ³P₂ → ³H₆, ³P₀ → ³H₆, and ³P₀ → ³H₄ transitions of Pr³⁺, respectively. It was noted that the persistent luminescence of Cd₃Ga₂Ge₃O₁₂:0.0015Pr³⁺ could be recorded for 5580 s, showing excellent luminescent properties. Accordingly, with the help of thermoluminescence spectra, a feasible mechanism for the Cd₃Ga₂Ge₃O₁₂:Pr³⁺ sample is proposed and explored to explain its excellent persistent luminescence properties. The results show that the material has outstanding anti-counterfeiting properties.