Photoluminescence Properties of Neat and Dy3+-Doped Gd3Ga5O12 Nanocrystals

Neat and Dy3+-doped Gd3Ga5O12 nanocrystals have been successfully prepared-via a propellant combustion method. A broad-band photoluminescence (PL) blue emission at 430 nm related to Ga2O3 in the Gd3Ga5O12 nanocrystals is observed. The characteristic PL emissions of Dy3+ and the broad-band PL blue emission at 430 nm can be observed in Gd3Ga5O12/Dy3+ samples. An energy transfer process from the host luminescent centers to Dy3+ is demonstrated. The lifetimes of the broad-band PL blue emission and the characteristic PL emission of Dy3+ are estimated. The efficiency of this energy transfer is determined up to 19.6%. The study on the influence of the excitation wavelength and the doping concentration of Dy3+ on the luminescent emission of the samples was performed under the excitation of different UV wavelengths. A white light with the CIE (Commission International de I'Eclairage) color coordinates (0.32, 0.34) was achieved. This material may find potential applications in lighting, optoelectronics, and imaging technologies.