Concentration-dependent fluorescence decay and energy transfer in Cr3+ and Nd3+ co-doped Y3Al5O12 ceramic powder

Abstract

Abstract Energy transfer from Cr3+ to Nd3+ in Cr3+ and Nd3+ co-doped Y3Al5O12 (Nd/Cr:YAG) was investigated by measuring the decay curves of Nd3+ and Cr3+ fluorescence for Cr:YAG and Nd/Cr:YAG ceramic powder samples that were produced by the sol–gel method in a Cr3+ concentration range of 0.1–6.0 mol%. The energy transfer processes in Nd/Cr:YAG could be explained based on dipole–dipole interactions even when the concentration quenching of Cr3+ was included, and the experimental fluorescence decay characteristics of Nd3+ excited through Cr3+ were consistent with the theoretical predictions based on dipole–dipole interactions. For a high-quality Nd/Cr:YAG ceramic with negligible concentration quenching, the energy transfer efficiency from Cr3+ to Nd3+ increased with an increase in Cr3+ concentration.