Luminescence properties of Eu3+ and Dy3+ doped β-BaB2O4 nanocrystals

β-BaB₂O₄ nanocrystals co-doped with Eu³⁺ and Dy³⁺ were synthesized and their luminescence properties have been studied. The emission of β-BaB₂O₄:Eu³⁺ sample is composed of three main peaks at 595, 615 and 675 nm, which are assigned to ⁵D₀→⁷F_{j(j = 1, 2, 3)} of Eu³⁺. The ⁵D₀ → ⁷F₁ electronic transition is the most prominent one in the spectrum. However, in the Eu³⁺ and Dy³⁺ co-activated sample, the characteristic emission peaks of Dy³⁺ ions are not observed and the luminescence intensity of ⁵D₀ → ⁷F₂ transition is stronger than that of the ⁵D₀ → ⁷F₁ transition because of the deform of the host lattice of β-BaB₂O₄ when Dy³⁺ ions are incorporated.