Sr2MgWO6:Cr3+ phosphors with effective near-infrared fluorescence and long-lasting phosphorescence

Cr3+-doped near-infrared (NIR) long-lasting phosphorescence (LLP) phosphors have drawn great attention for the promising application in unique bio-labels. Most of the studies are focused on gallate materials. Here we report a novel non-gallates NIR LLP phosphor Sr2MgWO6:Cr3+ that exhibit broadband emission at 700–1000 nm. X-ray powder diffraction, photoluminescence spectra, photoluminescence excitation spectra, LLP decay curves and thermoluminescence glow curves were determined to study the NIR LLP property and mechanism of Sr2MgWO6:Cr3+. Although Sr2MgWO6:0.4%Cr3+ gives the strongest NIR emission, the optimum content of Cr3+ in Sr2MgWO6 phosphor for LLP was 0.1%. Trap type and depth in Sr2MgWO6:Cr3+ were also discussed according to the thermoluminescence glow curves. Sr2MgWO6:Cr3+ phosphor is promising in optical information storage, night-vision surveillance, and in vivo bio-imaging.