New Generation of Europium and Terbium Activated Phosphors

Rare-earth doped materials are of crucial importance to optoelectronics, and are widely deployed in solid-state lasers, solid state lighting, LED etc. In the last decades, a large number of luminescent materials based on rare earth ions or rare earth host lattices have been invented. In many cases, rare earth phosphors dramatically improved the performance of the devices in which they are applied. It seems attractive to develop new phosphor materials with high efficiency and color saturation or modify well known compositions by co-doping them with RE ions, in particular with Eu and Tb activators. The luminescence properties could be essentially varied and therefore, some new applications could be proposed.

This book concentrates on the luminescence and structural properties of new generation of Europium and Terbium activated phosphors, associated phenomena and related topics, from basic principles to the most recent discoveries. The book summarizes the present state of the art in this rapidly growing field. Recent developments in the areas of rare-earth doped phosphors are discussed and some new materials or well known materials with improved properties that open up new possibilities are described. The areas of focus include X-ray phosphors, phosphors for light-emitting devices, emissive displays and fluorescent lamps. The book comprises theoretical and experimental analysis of various properties of phosphors, research methods and preparation techniques, and some promising applications.