Intrinsic and Ce3+-related luminescence of YAG and YAG:Ce single crystals, single crystalline films and nanopowders

A comparative analysis of the luminescent properties of YAG and YAG:Ce nanopowders (NP) in comparison with single crystalline film (SCF) and single crystal (SC) analogues was performed under excitation by a pulsed synchrotron and X-ray radiation. It was shown that the natural defects concentration in NP was between the SC with a large (∼0.18–0.19 at.%) concentration of YAl antisite defects (AD) and SCF of these garnets where YAl AD were completely absent. At the same time, Ce3+ doped YAG NP showed luminescent properties close to those of YAG:Ce SCF.