Luminescence intensity and color purity enhancement in nanostructured β-Ga2O3:Eu3+ phosphors

Nanostructured and bulk β-Ga2O3:Eu3+ phosphors are synthesized through sol–gel and solid-state reaction techniques, respectively. Nanostructured β-Ga2O3:Eu3+ phosphors show the average size of 80 nm and the organic materials coming from the starting materials. Excitation spectra of nanostructured β-Ga2O3:Eu3+ shift to longer wavelength side. The nanostructured β-Ga2O3:Eu3+ phosphors show the different emission spectra from bulk β-Ga2O3:Eu3+ phosphors due to distortion of Eu3+ symmetry resulting from the surface strain. The color purity of nanostructured β-Ga2O3:Eu3+ is enhanced in comparison with bulk β-Ga2O3:Eu3+. The higher concentration quenching in nanostructured β-Ga2O3:Eu3+ is done with higher luminescent intensity than bulk β-Ga2O3:Eu3+ due to the surface hindrance of resonant energy transfer.