Synthesis, photoluminescence and ferromagnetic properties of pencil-like Y doped AlN microrods

The pencil-like Y doped AlN (AlN:Y) microrods were synthesized by the direct reactions of Al:Y alloy with N2 gas using plasma assisted direct current (DC) arc discharge method. Structural and morphological analyses of as-synthesized microrods have been carried out using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The AlN:Y microrods usually have pencil-like geometries, with lengths up to several tens micrometers and diameters 5-10 µm. Photoluminescence (PL) and Magnetization hysteresis loop studies were carried out to understand the optical and ferromagnetic properties of pencil-like AlN:Y microrods. The quite broad emission band centered at 537 nm and room-temperature ferromagnetism which originate from high concentration of Al vacancies and surface defects has been observed for the pencil-like AlN:Y microrods.