Preparation, structure and characterization of nanocrystalline‐Nd:Y₃Ga₅O₁₂

Abstract

We have studied the synthesis of Nd doped Y₃Ga₅O₁₂ (Nd:YGG) nano-powder and optimized the conditions for obtaining pure phases by the coprecipitation route using NH₄HCO₃ as the precipitant. The precursor obtained was calcined at 900 °C for 2 h to transform it into pure Nd:YGG. Rietveld refinement of X-ray diffraction data confirms the cubic structure of YGG. The particle size of Nd:YGG was found to be ~ 10 nm (a much smaller size than most of the earlier reports on YGG). High-resolution transmission electron microscopic (HRTEM) images showed the highly crystalline nature of as-synthesized YGG nanopowder. Photoluminescence spectroscopy confirms that the doping of Nd3+ ions substitutes the Y3+ ions in the YGG crystalline lattice which enables Nd:YGG nanopowders to be a suitable candidate for YGG based transparent ceramics for laser applications.