LaPO₄ nanowires doped with 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 mol% Sm³⁺ were prepared by co-precipitation technique. These nanowires were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), photoluminescence (PL), photoluminescence excitation (PLE) spectra and energy-dispersive X-ray spectra (EDS). The PL spectra exhibited 4 groups of emission peaks, which are assigned to the transitions from the excited state ⁴G_5/2 to the ground states ⁶H_J with J = 5/2; 7/2; 9/2 and 11/2 of Sm³⁺ ions. The intensity of PL related to Sm³⁺ ion reached to a maximum when the Sm doping content was 2 mol%. The PLE spectra show 8 peaks, which are attributed to the absorption transitions from the ⁶H_5/2 ground state to the ⁴K_15/2, ⁴D_3/2, ⁶P_7/2, ⁴F_7/2, ⁶P_5/2, ⁴G_9/2, ⁴I_13/2 and ⁴I_11/2 excited states.