Ce^(3+):Lu_(3)Al_(5)O_(12)–Al_(2)O_(3) optical nanoceramic scintillators elaborated via a low-temperature glass crystallization route

Transparent Ce:lutetium aluminum garnet(Ce:Lu_(3)A_(l5)O_(12),Ce:LuAG)ceramics have been regarded as potential scintillator materials due to their relatively high density and atomic number(Zeff).However,the current Ce:LuAG ceramics exhibit a light yield much lower than the expected theoretical value due to the inevitable presence of LuAl antisite defects at high sintering temperatures.This work demonstrates a low-temperature(1100℃)synthetic strategy for elaborating transparent LuAG–Al_(2)O_(3) nanoceramics through the crystallization of 72 mol%Al_(2)O_(3)–28 mol%Lu_(2)O_(3)(ALu28)bulk glass.The biphasic nanostructure composed of LuAG and Al_(2)O_(3) nanocrystals makes up the whole ceramic materials.Most of Al_(2)O_(3) is distributed among LuAG grains,and the rest is present inside the LuAG grains.Fully dense biphasic LuAG–Al_(2)O_(3) nanoceramics are highly transparent from the visible region to mid-infrared(MIR)region,and particularly the transmittance reaches 82%at 780 nm.Moreover,LuAl antisite defect-related centers are completely undetectable in X-ray excited luminescence(XEL)spectra of Ce:LuAG–Al_(2)O_(3) nanoceramics with 0.3–1.0 at%Ce.The light yield of 0.3 at%Ce:LuAG–Al_(2)O_(3) nanoceramics is estimated to be 20,000 ph/MeV with short 1μs shaping time,which is far superior to that of commercial Bi_(4)Ge_(3)O_(12)(BGO)single crystals.These results show that a low-temperature glass crystallization route provides an alternative approach for eliminating the antisite defects in LuAG-based ceramics,and is promising to produce garnet-based ceramic materials with excellent properties,thereby meeting the demands of advanced scintillation applications.

Biphasic (Lu,Gd)_(3)Al_(5)O_(12)-based transparent nanoceramic color converters for high-power white LED/LD lighting

Ce doped Lu_(3)Al_(5)O_(12)(Ce:LuAG)transparent ceramics are considered as promising color converters for solid-state lighting because of their excellent luminous efficiency,high thermal quenching temperature,and good thermal stability.However,Ce:LuAG ceramics mainly emit green light.The shortage of red light as well as the expensive price of Lu compounds are hindering their application for white lighting.In this work,transparent(Lu,Gd)_(3)Al_(5)O_(12)–Al_(2)O_(3)(LuGAG–Al_(2)O_(3))nanoceramics with different replacing contents of Gd^(3+)(10%–50%)were successfully elaborated via a glass-crystallization method.The obtained ceramics with full nanoscale grains are composed of the main LuGAG crystalline phase and secondary Al_(2)O_(3) phase,exhibiting eminent transparency of 81.0%@780 nm.After doping by Ce^(3+),the Ce:LuGAG–Al_(2)O_(3) nanoceramics show a significant red shift(510 nm→550 nm)and make up for the deficiency of red light component in the emission spectrum.The Ce:LuAG–Al_(2)O_(3) nanoceramics with 20%Gd^(3+)show high internal quantum efficiency(81.5%in internal quantum efficiency(IQE),96.7%of Ce:LuAG–Al_(2)O_(3) nanoceramics)and good thermal stability(only 9%loss in IQE at 150℃).When combined with blue LED chips(10 W),0.3%Ce:LuGAG–Al_(2)O_(3) nanoceramics with 20%Gd^(3+)successfully realize the high-quality warm white LED lighting with a color coordinate of(0.3566,0.435),a color temperature of 4347 K,CRI of 67.7,and a luminous efficiency of 175.8 lm·W^(−1).When the transparent 0.3%Ce:LuGAG–Al_(2)O_(3) nanoceramics are excited by blue laser(5 W·mm^(−2)),the emission peak position redshifts from 517 to 570 nm,the emitted light exhibits a continuous change from green light to yellow light,and then to orange-yellow light,and the maximum luminous efficiency is up to 234.49 lm·W^(−1)(20%Gd^(3+)).Taking into account the high quantum efficiency,good thermal stability,and excellent and adjustable luminous properties,the transparent Ce:LuGAG–Al_(2)O_(3) nanoceramics with different Gd^(3+)substitution contents in this paper are believed to be promising candidates for high-power white LED/LD lighting.