Broadband near-infrared luminescence from transparent glass–ceramics containing Ni2+-doped SrTiO3 nanocrystals

Transparent strontium titanium silicate glass–ceramics (GCs) containing Ni2+-doped SrTiO3 nanocrystals were synthesized by heat treatment method. Absorption spectra confirmed that the coordination environment of Ni2+ ions was changed from the trigonal bipyramid fivefold sites in as-cast glasses to the octahedral sites in the GCs. Upon 980 nm laser excitation, the GCs exhibited broadband near-infrared emissions covering 1.1–1.7 μm wavelength region with the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of more than 290 nm and fluorescent lifetime of up to 735 μs, which originated from the 3T2g (3F) → 3A2g (3F) transition of octahedral Ni2+ ions in the SrTiO3 nanocrystals. This kind of Ni2+-doped transparent GCs have potential applications in super-broadband optical amplifiers and tunable lasers.

► Transparent glass–ceramics containing Ni2+-doped SrTiO3 nanocrystals were synthesized.
► Ni2+ ions were octahedral coordination state in the glass–ceramics.
► Ni2+-doped glass–ceramics exhibited a broadband near-infrared emission in 1.1–1.7 μm.
► This emission had the full width at half maximum of more than 290 nm and lifetime of 735 μs.