Enhanced luminescence from transparent Ni-doped MgO–Al2O3–SiO2 glass ceramics by Ga2O3 addition

Transparent Ni²⁺-doped MgO–Al₂O₃–SiO₂ glass ceramics without and with Ga₂O₃ were synthetized. The precipitation of spinel nanocrystals, which was identified as solid solutions in the glass ceramics, could be favored by Ga₂O₃ addition and their sizes were about 7.6 nm in diameter. The luminescent intensity of the Ni²⁺-doped glass ceramics was largely enhanced by Ga₂O₃ addition which could mainly be caused by increasing of Ni²⁺ in the octahedral sites and the reduction of the mean frequency of phonon density of states in the spinel nanocrystals of solid solutions. The full width at half maximum (FWHM) of emissions for the glass ceramics with different Ga₂O₃ content was all more than 200 nm. The emission lifetime increased with the Ga₂O₃ content and the longest lifetime is about 250 μs. The Ni²⁺-doped transparent glass ceramics with Ga₂O₃ addition have potential application as broadband optical amplifier and laser materials.