Sr 2 CeO 4 /Ln 3+ (Ln = Er, Ho, Tm) phosphors were synthesized with the microwave radiation method for the first time. The luminescent properties of the samples were investigated and the up-conversion luminescence of Er 3+ , Ho 3+ and Tm 3+ doped Sr 2 CeO 4 phosphors was observed. The spectra indicate that the energy transfer takes place from the triplet excited state of MLCT (metal-to-ligand charge transfer) state for Sr 2 CeO 4 (sensitizer) to the rare earth ions (activator).Keywords Sr 2 CeO 4 , Er 3+ , Ho 3+ , Tm 3+ , luminescence, up-conversion luminescence, microwave radiation 2.2 Synthesis of Sr 2 CeO 4 /Ln 3+ (Ln = Er, Ho, Tm) Following Sr 2 CeO 4 /Ln 3+ compounds can be prepared by using a mixture of Sr, Ln and Ce with a ratio of (2-x) : x : 1.