White light generation through Zn(PO3)2 glass activated with Eu3+ and Dy3+

A spectroscopic investigation of Zn(PO3)2 glass activated with Eu3+ and Dy3+ ions is carried out from photoluminescence data. White light emission is obtained in the glass phosphor, and it is due mainly to europium 5D0→7F2 and dysprosium 4F9/2→6H15/2,13/2 emissions, being Eu3+ sensitized by Dy3+ through a non-radiative energy transfer. Non-radiative energy transfer from Eu3+ to Dy3+ is also observed upon Eu3+ excitation at 414 nm. An electric quadrupole–quadrupole interaction might be the dominant mechanism in the energy transfer among Dy3+ and Eu3+ ions, as it was revealed from decay time data. The tonality of the white phosphor can be shifted from neutral white (0.364, 0.387) of 4522 K, upon 348 nm excitation, to warm white (0.393, 0.394) of 3811 K, upon 445 nm excitation. Excitations at 348–445 nm range can be attained with InGaN based LED chips, so that Eu3+ and Dy3+ codoped Zn(PO3)2 glasses excited by these LED chips could be appropriated for solid state lighting technology as neutral and warm white light sources