Processing and Properties of Eu 3+ ‐Doped Transparent YAG (Y 3 Al 5 O 12 ) Nanoglass–Ceramics

An Eu 3+ ‐doped novel mother glass in the K 2 O–SiO 2 –Y 2 O 3 –Al 2 O 3 (KSYA) system was prepared by the melt‐quench technique. The transparent Y 3 Al 5 O 12 (YAG) glass–ceramics were derived from this glass by a controlled crystallization process. The formation of YAG crystal phase, size and morphology with the progression of heat treatment was examined by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy, field‐emission scanning electron microscopy, and Fourier transformed infrared reflectance spectroscopy. The crystallite sizes obtained from XRD are found to increase with heat‐treatment time and vary in the range of 35–45 nm. The photoluminescence spectra of Eu 3+ ions exhibit emission transitions of 5 D 0 → 7 F j ( j =0, 1, 2, 3, and 4) and its excitation spectra show a charge transfer band around 280 nm. From these emissions, the site symmetry in the vicinity of Eu 3+ ions has been found to be C s or lower than C s in the nanoglass–ceramics. Absorption and fluorescence spectra reveal that the Eu 3+ ions are entering into the YAG nanocrystals of the glass–ceramics. The present study indicates that the incorporation of Eu 3+ ions into the YAG crystal lattice enhance the fluorescence performance of the nanoglass–ceramics. We believe that this work would generate new avenues in the exploration of YAG nanoglass–ceramics in particular and other glass–ceramics of very high‐temperature melting crystals in general.