An efficient purplish-blue phosphor Ca3MgSi2O8:Ce3+ has been synthesized. T
he emission and excitation spectra of the Ce3+ ions in Ca3MgSi2O8 at 298 an
d 77 K indicate that there are two kinds of Ce3+ emission centers. Accordin
g to the analysis of the crystal structure of the host and the spectral pro
perties, we have demonstrated that the two kinds of emission centers corres
pond to Ce3+ substituting into two different octa-coordinated Ca3+ sites in
the host, respectively. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved
.