Simultaneous broadband near-infrared emission and magnetic properties of single phase Ni2+-doped beta-Ga2O3 nanocrystals via mediated phase-controlled synthesis

Monodisperse rice-like Ni2+-doped beta-Ga2O3 nanostructures were phase-controllably synthesized via a hydrothermal route and subsequent calcination. The detailed phase, composition and morphology were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), which showed that the rice-like beta-Ga2O3 nanostructures were assembled with nanorods with a diameter of similar to 50 nm along their entire length. The phase formation and transition behavior of beta-Ga2O3 nanocrystals were investigated, and a possible crystal growth mechanism for the rice-like GaOOH nanostructure was proposed. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra indicated that Ni2+-doped beta-Ga2O3 phosphors exhibit a broadband near-infrared emission (1200-1600 nm). Besides, the magnetic properties were also investigated, revealing the ferromagnetic nature of the Ni2+-doped beta-Ga2O3 nanocrystals. The single phase Ni2+-doped beta-Ga2O3 nanocrystals endowed with optical and magnetic bifunctional properties have promising potential application in the fields of optical communication, biological diagnosis and magnetic information storage, etc.