Perovskite SrZrO(3):Ho(3+) phosphors: synthesis, structure, Judd–Ofelt analysis and photoluminescence properties

A series of SrZrO(3):xHo(3+) (x = 0.01, 0.03, 0.05, 0.07, 0.09, and 0.11 mol) perovskite phosphors have been synthesized by using the sol–gel technique. The structural and optical characteristics of the prepared phosphors have been investigated through powder XRD, FT-IR, UV-visible diffuse reflectance, and photoluminescence analysis. The photoluminescence emission spectra showed a bright characteristic peak at 545 nm ((5)F(4) + (5)S(2) → (5)I(8)) under the 454 nm excitation, which exhibits emission in the green region of the electromagnetic spectrum. The emission intensity of the phosphors starts decreasing slowly beyond 3 mol% Ho(3+) ions concentration due to concentration quenching, which is attributed to the dipole–dipole interaction between Ho(3+) ions. The site symmetry of the Ho(3+) ions has been studied by estimating the relative Judd–Ofelt intensity parameters (Ω(λ), where λ = 2, 4, 6) from the photoluminescence excitation spectrum of the SrZrO(3):0.03Ho(3+) phosphor. The obtained findings suggest that the synthesized phosphors will be favorable for their bright green emission and thus, can be widely used for different optoelectronic applications.