Investigation of structural and optical properties: Tm2O3/Dy2O3 codoping in P2O5-MgO-NaF-CaF2 glass

•The composition mole ratio and processing parameters used were different from others.•A novel Dy3+/Tm3+-doped phosphate glass for W-LED application has been prepared.•The glass has high thermal stability (90.48% of the initial intensity at 100°C).•Energy transfer efficiency from Dy3+ to Tm3+ is high (64.44%) compared to others.•These glasses have excellent CCTs, chromaticity coordinates, moisture-resistance. Rare earth-doped glass is regarded as an excellent luminescent material and has been widely used in solid-state lighting. Here, the Tm3+/Dy3+ co-doped phosphate glasses revealed an increasing trend in density as the raising of Tm3+ contents, and the Urbach energies were 0.242∼0.374 eV based on transmission spectra. Under the 362 nm excitation, the white light with the chromaticity coordinates that were close to the value of standard white light was produced. The electric dipole-dipole interaction plays a major role in the energy transfer process from Tm3+ to Dy3+, and the glass exhibited a very high energy transfer efficiency of 64.44% according to the fluorescence spectra. Furthermore, the luminescent intensity of Tm3+/Dy3+ co-doped glasses at 150°C can still keep approximately 85.4% of its initial intensity and the glasses displayed excellent moisture-resistance (99.2%). Overall, the prepared Tm3+/Dy3+ co-doped glass exhibited potential applications in the field of W-LED and display devices.