Highly Crystallized Transparent Luminescent Glass Ceramics Containing Dual-Phase ZnGa2O4 Spinel and α-Zn2SiO4 Willemite Nanocrystals

Abstract Preparation of transparent glass ceramics (TGCs) with a high crystallinity has become a new research trend recently. In the present work, TGCs containing dual-phase ZnGa2O4 spinel and α-Zn2SiO4 willemite nanocrystals (NCs) are obtained simply by controlled crystallization from a cost-effective quaternary glass system SiO2-Ga2O3-ZnO-Na2O. The TGCs have a high crystallinity 85 ± 5 % and remain transparent in the visible light region. Crystallization behaviors of the TGCs have been revealed using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM). Selective doping of Mn2+ and Cr3+ has been demonstrated in the dual-phase TGCs. Benefited from the enrichment and diversity of crystalline environments, broadband/multiplexed and enhanced luminescence is achieved. The highly crystallized multi-phase TGCs inheriting both advantages of optical functional crystals and chemically inert and mechanically robust glasses, are doomed to play a key role in photonics and optoelectronics.