Structure and luminescence of Eu3+ doped glass ceramics embedding ZnO quantum dots

Eu3+ doped glass ceramics embedding ZnO quantum dots (QDs) were successfully prepared by a sol–gel method. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) observations revealed that ZnO QDs with size of 3–6 nm precipitated homogeneously among the SiO2 glassy matrix after thermal treatment of the precursor sample. Such glass ceramics show a high transparency in the visible-infrared range due to the much smaller size of the ZnO QDs than the wavelength of the visible light. The emission and excitation spectra of the samples with various ZnO contents were studied. Based on Judd–Ofelt theory, the intensity parameter Ω2 was evaluated to investigate the change of the environment around Eu3+ in samples with and without QDs.