Enhancement of luminescence and afterglow in CaTiO3:Pr3+ by Zr substitution for Ti

The photoluminescence and afterglow characteristics of Zr doped CaTiO3:Pr3+ phosphors were investigated. Zr4+ substitution for Ti4+ leads to the enhancement of red fluorescence and phosphorescence at 613 nm originating from D-1(2) to H-3(4) transition of Pr3+, and the increase of the lifetime for the D-1(2) state. The enhancement of emission intensity was attributed to the change of the lattice structure, the increase of the Pr3+ amount, and the decrease of the concentration of the defects quenching red emission. The increase of lifetime was thought to originate from the increase of the density of [Pror traps. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.