Tuning photoluminescence response by electric field in the lead-free piezoelectric Na1/2Bi1/2TiO3-BaTiO3

TL;DR

This study demonstrates that applying an external electric field to a lead-free ferroelectric material can effectively tune the photoluminescence response of embedded Eu+3 ions, revealing new radiative transition channels.

Contribution

It introduces a method to control photoluminescence in lead-free piezoelectric materials using electric fields, highlighting the role of positional disorder in enabling forbidden transitions.

Findings

Electric field modulates Eu+3 photoluminescence response.

Electric field induces new radiative transition channels.

Positional disorder influences transition probabilities.

Abstract

We show that an electrically soft ferroelectric host can be used to tune the photoluminescence (PL) response of rare-earth emitter ions by external electric field. The proof of this concept is demonstrated by changing the PL response of Eu+3 ion by electric field on a model system Eu-doped 0.94Na1/2Bi1/2TiO3-0.06BaTiO3. We also show that new channels of radiative transitions, forbidden otherwise, open up due to positional disorder in the system, which can as well be tuned by electric field.