Greatly enhanced broadband near-infrared emission due to energy transfer from Cr3+ to Ni2+ in transparent magnesium aluminosilicate glass ceramics

Abstract

Cr3+/Ni2+ co-doped optically transparent magnesium aluminosilicate glass-ceramics containing MgAl2O4 nanocrystals have been prepared by heat-treatment. Greatly enhanced broadband near-infrared emission centered at 1216 nm in Cr3+/Ni2+ co-doped glass ceramics is observed when compared with the Ni2+ single-doped glass ceramics under 532 nm excitation. The observed enhancement of infrared emission is attributed to the energy transfer from Cr3+ to Ni2+ ions in the nanocrystalline phase, which leads to the emission due to 3T2(3F) → 3A2(3F) transition of octahedral Ni2+ ions.