Luminescent properties of a new cyan long afterglow phosphor CaSnO(3):Lu(3+)

Persistent luminescence (PPL) materials have gained lots of attention and have been widely used in traffic signs, displays, medical diagnosis and architectural decoration. Single ion doped PPL materials with stable emission are excellent for practical applications, but it is difficult to cover the entire wavelength range. Here, a new cyan long-lasting phosphor CaSnO(3):Lu(3+) was successfully synthesized at 1200 °C by the conventional high temperature solid state method. From the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), it can be concluded that the Sn(2+) ions exist in the crystal lattice because the doping of Lu(3+) ions changes the valence state of the Sn ions. According to the thermally simulated luminescence (TSL), the continuous afterglow of CaSnO(3):Lu(3+) phosphors is produced by appropriate hole or electron traps, which are caused by doping the calcium stannate host with rare earth ions (Lu(3+)). The long-lasting phosphorescence (LLP) properties of the cyan phosphor were first discussed and the afterglow mechanism was expounded in detail. The excitation and the emission spectra of the phosphor revealed the characteristic broad peak of the Sn(2+) ion. Typical afterglow behavior of the CaSnO(3):Lu(3+) phosphors was exhibited after power was turned off.