2.7 μm Emission from Transparent Er3+,Tm3+ Codoped Yttrium Aluminum Garnet (Y3Al5O12) Nanocrystals–Tellurate Glass Composites by Novel Comelting Technology

• Published in: Journal of physical chemistry. C 2012-09, Vol.116 (37), p.19941-19950
• Main Authors: Chai, Guanqi, Dong, Guoping, Qiu, Jianrong, Zhang, Qinyuan, Yang, Zhongmin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amorphous materials, glasses and other disordered solids; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Exact sciences and technology; Optical properties and condensed-matter spectroscopy and other interactions of matter with particles and radiation; Photoluminescence; Physics
• ISSN: 1932-7447; 1932-7455
• DOI: 10.1021/jp3052906

Yttrium aluminum garnet Y3Al5O12 (YAG):Er3+,Tm3+ phosphor powders with preferable luminescent properties and nanocrystals with better morphology were synthesized by the solid-state reaction method and coprecipitation method, respectively. The composition and morphology were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), which showed that the nanocrystals were pseudomonodispersed with the particle size of ∼30 nm. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra indicated the 2.7 μm emission of Er3+ was remarkably enhanced via Tm3+ sensitization, and a novel circulatory energy transfer mechanism was proposed. A novel dehydration method was used to decrease the contents of the hydroxyl group (OH–) confirmed by photoluminescence spectra and Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR). YAG crystallites were introduced into tellurate glass and formed to glass composites with good optical performance. These nanocrystals–glass composites open a brand new field for the research of mid-infrared laser materials.