White‐emitting phosphor Ba2B2O5:Ce3+, Tb3+, Sm3+: Luminescence, energy transfer, and thermal stability

A series of Ba2B2O5: RE (RE=Ce3+/Tb3+/Sm3+) phosphors were synthesized using high-temperature solid-state reaction. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), luminescent properties, and decay lifetimes are utilized to characterize the properties of the phosphors. The obtained phosphors can emit blue, green, and orange-red light when single-doped Ce3+, Tb3+, and Sm3+. The energy can transfer from Ce3+ to Tb3+ and Tb3+ to Sm3+ in Ba2B2O5, but not from Ce3+ to Sm3+ in Ce3+ and Sm3+ codoped in Ba2B2O5. However, the energy can transfer from Ce3+ to Sm3+ through the bridge role of Tb3+. We obtain white emission based on energy transfer of Ce3+→Tb3+→Sm3+ ions. These results reveal that Ce3+/Tb3+/Sm3+ can interact with each other in Ba2B2O5, and Ba2B2O5 may be a potential candidate host for white-light-emitting phosphors.