Photon Quantization in Sm³⁺ Doped Red Glass Phosphors for Laser-Induced Illumination

Multi-peak red fluorescence emissions in Sm³⁺-doped multicomponent-alkali-alkaline-borate (MCAAB) glasses for laser-induced illumination are quantitatively characterized, revealing that the quantum yield (QY) is closely related with the wavelength of pumping sources. Under the excitation of 370 nm UVA-LED, the net emission photon numbers of 1.00 wt% Sm₂O₃-doped MCAAB glasses are derived to be 58.0 × 10¹² cps, and the QY reaches to 25.3% which is about twice as much as 12.2% under 469 nm blue-LED pumping, which is attributed to the better excitability in UVA spectral region. In order to extend the effective excitation range to UVB, Ce³⁺ is co-doped in Sm³⁺-doped MCAAB glasses as a sensitizer, which results in an enhancement of Sm³⁺ excitation intensity by a maximum sensitization factor of 9.16 in the UVB region. Absolute spectral parameters under 453 nm blue laser excitation exhibit that net emission photon numbers are up to 199.4 × 10¹² cps in 1.00 wt% Sm₂O₃ doping case, and QY is solved to be 6.2%. Higher QY of the Sm³⁺-doped MCAAB glasses is expected to be achieved by further adopting wavelength-matched pumping laser, implying that Sm³⁺-doped MCAAB glasses is a promising candidate as high power-density light source in special laser-induced illumination.