Orange luminescence of Eu3+-doped CuLaO2 delafossite oxide

CuLa1-xEuxO2 polycrystalline specimens were successfully prepared by the solid-state reaction method. X-ray diffraction measurement revealed that CuLa1-xEuxO2 (0.01 <= x <= 0.2) was a single phase with the delafossite structure with successful substitution of Eu3+ into the La3+ site at the center of the LaO6 octahedron. Orange luminescence due to D-5(0)-F-7(0,1) transitions was observed in photoluminescence spectra of CuLa1-xEuxO2, although Eu3+-containing materials usual show red luminescence due to the D-5(0)-F-7(2) transition. This luminescent color difference suggests that rare earth ion doping into a delafossite-type oxide is promising for constructing new color-luminescent materials. (C) 2010 The Ceramic Society of Japan. All rights reserved.