Template synthesis and luminescence of ordered Lu3Al5O12:Ce3+ nanowire arrays

Uniform Lu3Al5O12:Ce3+ nanowire arrays were successfully synthesized in Anodic Aluminum Oxide (AAO) templates by a sol-gel method. The as-prepared nanowires with ordered, homogenous and dense structure had a uniform diameter, corresponding to the pore diameter of the AAO template. The polycrystalline garnet structure of the as-prepared nanowires was found by X-ray diffraction and selected area electronic diffraction. AAO template has a confinement effect on the coalescence of Lu3Al5O12:Ce3+ nanocrystallites. Both photoluminescence and radioluminescence spectra of Lu3Al5O12:Ce3+/AAO composite consist of double peaks, which correspond to the electron transition of Ce3+ from the lowest crystal-field splitting component of 5d level to the 4f spin-orbit splitting 2F5/2 and 2F7/2 states.