Hexagonal Sr_1-Al_2-SiO₄:Eu²⁺,Dy³⁺ transparent ceramics with tuneable persistent luminescence properties

Co-doped hexagonal Sr1-x/2Al2-xSixO4:Eu2+,Dy3+ (0.1 ≤ x ≤ 0.5) transparent ceramics have been elaborated by full glass crystallization. The compositions with low SiO2 content (x ≤ 0.4) require fast quenching conditions to form glass, i.e. specific elaboration processes such as aerodynamic levitation coupled to laser heating, whereas the x = 0.5 glass composition can be prepared on a large scale by the classic melt-quenching method in commercial furnaces. After a single thermal treatment, the resulting SrAl2O4-based transparent ceramics show varying photoluminescence emission properties when x increases. These variations are also observable in persistent luminescence, resulting in an afterglow colour-tuning ranging from green to light blue. Afterglow excitation spectra highlight the possible activation in the visible range of the obtained persistent luminescence. Indeed, persistent luminescence of hexagonal Sr0.75Al1.5Si0.5O4:Eu2+,Dy3+ large transparent ceramics has been successfully charged using a typical smartphone low power white light source. Moreover, thermoluminescence glow curves of samples containing different Dy3+ doping concentrations are studied to gain insights regarding the traps' origin and depth. Coupling thermoluminescence results together with luminescence thermal quenching and band gap calculations appear useful to understand the charge trapping and detrapping evolution with the material composition. Varying the Si-content in hexagonal Sr1-x/2Al2-xSixO4:Eu2+,Dy3+ compounds appears as a promising strategy to obtain transparent materials with tuneable green to light blue persistent luminescence.