Local structure and time-resolved photoluminescence of emulsion prepared YAG nanoparticles

White LEDs rely on phosphors to convert blue or UV light into the broad spectrum emission needed for illumination. Nanoparticles of the Ce-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG:Ce3+) phosphor were prepared by an emulsion route and calcined at various temperatures. The products were characterized by X-ray diffractometry, electron microscopy, and photoluminescence measurements, as well as time-resolved luminescent measurements at different temperatures (77–473 K). Quantitative Rietveld refinement with decreasing calcination temperatures and pair distribution function analyses, carried out with synchrotron X-ray data, revealed both luminescence quenching impurity phases and reduced long range correlation.