Influence of Sb doping on the luminescent properties of PbWO4 single crystals

Abstract

The influence of antimony (Sb) doping on the luminescent properties of lead tungstate single crystals (PWO) has been investigated. Transmission spectra, emission, and excitation spectra of UV-excited luminescence of PWO and PWO:Sb have been reported. Though our measurement based on the surface emission may be different from the light intensity in the crystal body itself, the comparison of spectra between PWO and PWO:Sb showed some significant results. Sb doping improved the luminescence of PWO by enormously increasing its light yield, and the green emission band in luminescent spectra is drastically enhanced, while the red one is restrained. On the ground that the improvement by Sb doping is similar to the air annealing effect on PWO luminescence, the mechanism of Sb doping and the origin of the green emission is briefly discussed. We suggested that Sb3+ ions and Sb5+ ions coexist in PbWO4:Sb crystals and the green emission originate from centers (WO42−+Oi).