Crystallization kinetics and optical properties of transparent glass-ceramics embedding ZnGa2O4 nanocrystals with enhanced defect luminescence

Abstract In this study, the transparent glass-ceramics containing spinel ZnGa2O4 nanocrystals were obtained by controlling crystallization. XRD, SEM, and TEM results show that after heat treatment at 750–950 °C, ZnGa2O4 nanocrystals with spinel structure can be precipitated in the glass matrix. As the heat treatment temperature increases, the nanocrystal size of ZnGa2O4 in the glass matrix shows an increasing trend, which results in a slight decrease in the transmittance of the glass-ceramics. However, it still maintains high optical transparency in the visible-light range. Under the excitation of 281 and 355 nm ultraviolet light, the transparent glass-ceramics embedding ZnGa2O4 nanocrystals show wide emission bands. Moreover, with the increase of heat-treatment temperatures, the CIE chromaticity coordinates of the glass-ceramics gradually move from the green-light region towards the blue-light region, which indicates that the transparent ZnGa2O4 glass-ceramics have potential applications in blue-green laser and color display.