Blue–white luminescent Sr 2 CeO 4 thin films were deposited by using pulsed laser ablation (λ=248nm wavelength) on 500°C silicon (111) substrates under an oxygen pressure of 55mTorr. High-resolution electron transmission microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that the films were composed of nanocrystalline Sr 2 CeO 4 grains of the order of 20–30nm with a preferential orientation in the (130) crystallographic direction. The excitation and photoluminescence spectra measured on the films maintained the characteristic emission of Sr 2 CeO 4 however, the emission peak appeared narrower and blue-shifted as compared to the luminescence spectrum of the target. This blue-shift of about 10nm may be related to the nanocrystalline nature of the grains and the preferential crystallographic orientation during the growth formation of the film.