Europium doped Sr₂ YNbO₆ double perovskite phosphor for photoluminescence and thermoluminescence properties

A luminescent double perovskite phosphor Sr₂ YNbO₆ doped with Eu³⁺ crystallized to the monoclinic phase and was synthesized successfully via a conventional high-temperature combustion method. The formation of the crystal structure, phase purity, and surface morphology were studied using X-ray diffraction patterns and scanning electron microscopy. The characteristic vibrations between the atoms of the functional groups present in phosphor were studied using Fourier transform infrared spectra analysis. The luminescence properties of the prepared phosphors were investigated in terms of photoluminescence (PL) and thermoluminescence (TL). PL excitation spectra exhibited charge transfer bands and the characteristic 4f⁶ transitions of Eu³⁺ . A prominent PL emission was obtained for the phosphor doped with 4 mol% Eu³⁺ under the 396 nm excitation wavelength. PL emission quenching was observed for the higher doping concentrations due to a multipole-multipole interaction. A highly intense PL emission arose due to the hypersensitive ⁵ D₀ -⁷ F₂ electric dipole transition of Eu³⁺ that dominated the emission spectra. The thermal stability of the phosphor was examined through temperature-dependent PL. The TL properties of the Sr₂ YNbO₆ double perovskites irradiated with a ⁹⁰ Sr beta source at different doses were measured. The double perovskite phosphors under study showed a linear dose-response with increasing beta dose, ranging from 1 Gy to 10 Gy. Trapping parameters of the TL glow curves were determined using Chen's peak shape method and computerized glow curve deconvolution (CGCD). CGCD fitting of the TL glow curves revealed that it was consisted of three major peaks and followed second-order kinetics. The estimated activation energies were determined using different methods and were comparable and significant.