Wet-chemical synthesis and luminescence studies of nano-crystalline gadolinium gallium garnet

This paper reports the photoluminescence studies of pure polycrystalline nano-sized gadolinium gallium garnet (Gd3Ga5O12, GGG) powders synthesized by the method of co-precipitation using ammonium hydrogen carbonate (NH4HCO3, AHC) as the precipitant. The prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared, ultraviolet, visible, near-infrared (UV–Vis–NIR) spectroscopy and photoluminescence studies. The X-ray diffraction analysis confirms the formation of cubic structure of gadolinium gallium garnet (Gd3Ga5O12). The average particle sizes are found to be in the range of approximately 19 nm–88 nm, for different calcining temperatures. The formation of gadolinium gallium garnet is also confirmed by Fourier transform infrared studies. Scanning electron microscopy image measurement confirms the formation of nanosized particles. The photoluminescence studies of the pure gadolinium gallium garnet sample shows emission peaks around at 441 nm for an excitation wavelength of 350 nm for the sample calcined at 1,100 °C.