Polycrystalline powder sample of KSr4(BO3)3 was synthesized by high-temperature solid-state reaction. The influence of different rare earth dopants, i.e. Tb3+, Tm3+ and Ce3+, on thermoluminescence (TL) of KSr4(BO3)3 phosphor was discussed. The TL, photoluminescence (PL) and some dosimetric properties of Ce3+-activated KSr4(BO3)3 phosphor were studied. The effect of the concentration of Ce3+ on TL intensity was investigated and the result showed that the optimum Ce3+ concentration was 0.2 mol%. The TL kinetic parameters of KSr4(BO3)3:0.002 Ce3+ phosphor were calculated by computer glow curve deconvolution (CGCD) method. Characteristic emission peaking at about 407 and 383 nm due to the 4f05d1 → 2F(5/2, 7/2) transitions of Ce3+ ion were observed both in PL and three-dimensional (3D) TL spectra. The dose–response of KSr4(BO3)3:0.002 Ce3+ to γ-ray was linear in the range from 1 to 1000 mGy. In addition, the decay of the TL intensity of KSr4(BO3)3:0.002 Ce3+ was also investigated.

By introducing the Y3+ into Sr2P2O7:Eu2+, we successfully prepared a kind of new phosphor with blue long-lasting phosphorescence by the high-temperature solid-state reaction method. In this paper, the properties of Sr2P2O7:Eu2+,Y3+ were investigated utilizing XRD, photoluminescence, luminescence decay, long-lasting phosphorescence and thermoluminescence (TL) spectra. The phosphor emitted blue light that was related to the 4f65d1–8S7/2 transition of Eu2+. The bright blue phosphorescence could be observed by naked eyes even 8 h after the excitation source was removed. Two TL peaks at 317 and 378 K related to two types of defects appeared in the TL spectrum. By analyzing the TL curve the depths of traps were calculated to be 0.61 and 0.66 eV. Also, the mechanism of LLP was discussed in this report.

A new pyrophosphate long-lasting phosphor with composition of Ca1.96P2O7:0.02Eu2+, 0.02Y3+ is synthesized via the high-temperature solid-state reaction method. Its properties are systematically investigated utilizing XRD, photoluminescence, phosphorescence and thermoluminescence (TL) spectra. The phosphor emits blue light that is related to the characteristic emission of Eu2+ due to 5d–4f transitions. For the optimized sample, bright blue long-lasting phosphorescence (LLP) could be observed by naked eyes even 6 h after the excitation source is removed. The TL spectra show that the doping of Y3+ ions greatly enhanced intensity of 335 K peak and created new TL peak at about 373 K that is also responsible for the blue LLP. Based on our study, Y3+ ions are suggested to act as electron traps to improve the performance of the blue phosphorescence of Eu2+ such as intensity and persistent time.

LiCaBO3 was synthesized by high-temperature solid-state reaction. The influence of different rare earth dopants, i.e. Dy3+, Tb3+, Tm3+ and Ce3+, on thermoluminescence (TL) of LiCaBO3 phosphor was discussed. We studied the TL properties and some dosimetric characteristics of Ce3+-activated LiCaBO3 phosphor in detail. The effect of the concentration of Ce3+ on TL was investigated, the result of which showed that the optimum Ce3+ concentration was 1 mol%. The TL kinetic parameters of LiCaBO3:0.01Ce3+ were studied by computer glow curve deconvolution (CGCD) method. The three-dimensional (3D) TL emission spectra were also studied, peaking at 431 and 474 nm due to the characteristic transition of Ce3+. We also studied the linearity, annealing condition, reproducibility, fading and different heating rate of the LiCaBO3:0.01Ce3+ phosphor.

Phosphors CaYBO4:RE3+ (RE=Eu, Gd, Tb, Ce) were synthesized with the method of solid-state reaction at high temperature, and their vacuum ultraviolet (VUV)–visible luminescent properties in VUV–visible region were studied at 20 K. In CaYBO4, it is confirmed that there are two types of lattice sites that can be substituted by rare-earth ions. The host excitation and emission peaks of undoped CaYBO4 are very weak, which locate at about 175 and 350–360 nm, respectively. The existence of Gd3+ can efficiently enhance the utilization of host absorption energy and result in a strong emission line at 314 nm. In CaYBO4, Eu3+ has typical red emission with the strongest peak at 610 nm; Tb3+ shows characteristic green emission, of which the maximum emission peak is located at 542 nm. The charge transfer band of CaYBO4:Eu3+ was observed at 228 nm; the co-doping of Gd3+ and Eu3+ can obviously sensitize the red emission of Eu3+. The fluorescent spectra of CaYBO4:Ce3+ is very weak due to photoionization; the co-addition of Ce3+–Tb3+ can obviously quench the luminescence of Tb3+.

The blue long-lasting phosphorescence (LLP) phenomenon was observed for Eu2+-doped SrO–B2O3 glasses prepared in the reducing atmosphere. The phosphorescence peaks at about 450 nm due to the 4f5d→4f transition of Eu2+. With the doping of different amounts of Eu2+, the concentration-quenching phenomenon was observed for both the LLP and photoluminescence of the glasses, and the critical concentration for the two cases was same, i.e., 0.02 mol% Eu2+. And by the investigation of the TL curves, the content of Eu2+ had an effect on the trap depth of the samples. At last the possible mechanism of the LLP of the samples was suggested.

RE3+-activated α- and β-CaAl2B2O7 (RE=Tb, Ce) were synthesized with the method of high-temperature solid-state reaction. Their VUV excitation and VUV-excited emission spectra are measured and discussed in the present article. The charge transfer band of Tb3+ and Ce3+ is respectively calculated to be at 151±2 and 159±3 nm. All the samples show an activator-independent excitation peak at about 175 nm and an emission peak at 350–360 nm ascribed to the host absorption and emission band, respectively.

Borates LiSr4(BO3)3 were synthesized by high-temperature solid-state reaction. The thermoluminescence (TL) and some of the dosimetric characteristics of Ce3+-activated LiSr4(BO3)3 were reported. The TL glow curve is composed of only one peak located at about 209 °C between room temperature and 500 °C. The optimum Ce3+ concentration is 1 mol% to obtain the highest TL intensity. The TL kinetic parameters of LiSr4(BO3)3:0.01Ce3+ were studied by the peak shape method. The TL dose response is linear in the protection dose ranging from 1 mGy to 1 Gy. The three-dimensional thermoluminescence emission spectra were also studied, peaking at 441 and 474 nm due to the characteristic transition of Ce3+.

The Sr2Mg(BO3)2 phosphors doped respectively with Tm3+, Tb3+ and Dy3+ as activator were prepared by high temperature solid-state reaction. All the thermoluminescence curves of the phosphors consisted of two isolated peaks and the Dy3+ activated sample exhibited the strongest thermoluminescence intensity. The kinetic parameters of the thermoluminescence of Sr2Mg(BO3)2 : 0.04 Dy were calculated employing the peak shape method and 3 dimensional thermoluminescent emission spectra were observed peaking at 480, 579, 662 and 755 nm due to the characteristic transition of Dy3+. In addition, the pre-irradiation heat-treatment and the thermoluminescence dose response of Sr2Mg(BO3)2 : 0.04 Dy were investigated.

The spectroscopic properties in VUV-Vis range for the eulytite structural phosphors Sr3Gd(PO4)3:Ln3+ (Ln3+=Ce3+, Pr3+, Tb3+), Sr3Ce(PO4)3, Sr3Gd(PO4)3 and Sr3Tb(PO4)3 were investigated. The bands near 170 nm in VUV excitation spectra are assumed to connect with the host lattices related absorption. The f–d transitions of Ce3+, Pr3+ and Tb3+ in the host lattices are assigned and corroborated. A convenient experiment formulation on the relationship between the lowest f–d transition energies and n value for trivalent 4fn-series rare earth ions in these host lattices is applied.

Influences of excess Zn2+ ions and intrinsic defects on red (λ=616 nm) phosphorescence of β-Zn3(PO4)2:Mn2+ are systematically investigated. It is clearly observed that red long lasting phosphorescence (LLP) properties of Mn2+, such as brightness and duration, are largely improved when excess Zn2+ ions are co-doped into the matrix. Photoluminescence (PL), LLP and thermoluminescence (TL) spectra indicate that Mn2+ ion acts as luminescent center whereas oxygen vacancy associated to Zn2+ ion plays a significant role in electron trap. The TL peak for oxygen vacancy is centered at 343 K, the depth of which is suitable for improvement in LLP performance of Mn2+ at room temperature. The possible mechanism for this phenomenon of red LLP of Mn2+ in β-Zn3(PO4)2:Mn2+ with excess of Zn2+ is explained by means of a competitively trapping model.