Photoluminescence and phase related cathodoluminescence dynamics of Pr3+ doped in a double phase of ZnTa2O6 and ZnAl2O4

A new phosphor ZnTaAlO5:Pr3+, which displays cathodoluminescence intensity that is phase dependent, was synthesised by solid statereaction. x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and EDX (energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy) maps were used to confirm the multi-phase, multi-particle shapes and to assign each particle shape o a corresponding phase of the phosphor, respectively. Cathodoluminescence mapswere obtained simultaneously with the EDX maps, and showed both the luminescence emerging from intrinsic and extrinsic defect centres. Theactivator red emission was better resolved using photoluminescence spectroscopy, which showed emission lines emerging from more than onemanifold of the Pr3+transitions. The persistent luminescence was measured and the corresponding electron trapping centres were characterisedby thermoluminescence spectroscopy.This work is based on financial contribution from the South African Research Chairs Initiative of the Department of Science and Technology (84415), National Research Foundation of South Africa and the Erasmus Mundus–Saturn action 2 programme funded by the European Union (2014/2015).A new phosphor ZnTaAlO5:Pr3+, which displays cathodoluminescence intensity that is phase dependent, was synthesised by solid statereaction. x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and EDX (energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy) maps were used to confirm the multi-phase, multi-particle shapes and to assign each particle shape o a corresponding phase of the phosphor, respectively. Cathodoluminescence mapswere obtained simultaneously with the EDX maps, and showed both the luminescence emerging from intrinsic and extrinsic defect centres. Theactivator red emission was better resolved using photoluminescence spectroscopy, which showed emission lines emerging from more than onemanifold of the Pr3+transitions. The persistent luminescence was measured and the corresponding electron trapping centres were characterisedby thermoluminescence spectroscopy