Long phosphorescent Ca2SnO4 with minuscule rare earth dopant concentration.

Rare-earth doped Ca2SnO4 phosphors were synthesized using a conventional solid state reaction method. The red phosphorescence of Eu(3+) was observed in this system with persistence time. In the as-prepared samples, the doped rare earth ions occupied both Ca and Sn sites in the host lattice. The longest phosphorescent persistence property can be achieved for the Ca2SnO4 phosphors with a 0.1% Eu dopant. Depending on the doped rare earth ions, afterglow emissions of various colors were observed.