Single crystals of GdCa 4 O(BO 3 ) 3 (GdCOB) pure and doped with Eu concentration of 1 and 4 at% were grown by the Czochralski and micropulling-down methods. The distribution of Eu ions in GdCOB crystals was uniform. The substitutions of Eu 3+ in Gd, Ca(1) and Ca(2) cation sites and eventually formation Eu 2+ have been investigated. The spectroscopic properties of crystals are compared with the properties of nanopowders obtained by sol-gel method. Radioluminescence spectra of undoped GdCOB crystal show the characteristic emission of Gd 3+ at about 312 nm, whereas this emission dramatically decreases in Eu-doped crystals upon X-ray excitation, as well as in Eu-doped nanopowders excited in vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) region. The VUV excitation in the range 125-333 nm for Eu-doped samples leads to strong emission in red coming from the 5 D 0 multiplet of Eu 3+, only. In the photoluminescence decay kinetics of 312 nm emissions substantial shortening and departure for single exponential decay in Eu-doped samples is clearly observed. Higher Eu doping results in further acceleration of the decay. In undoped GdCOB crystal, the lifetime of the Gd 3+ 6 P 7/2 multiplet is 2.79 ms. The Eu 3+ 5 D 0 decay kinetics monitored at 613 nm are rather constant. Numerical fitting of fully exponential curves, reveals lifetimes 2.7 ms for nanopowder and 2.5 ms for single crystal. The results suggest that this material may be used as a red phosphor in plasma display panels in nanopowder form because of strong excitation band of Eu 3+ luminescence in the 160-200 nm regions. Contrary to nanopowder sample, such an excitation band, attributed to the Gd 3+-O 2-charge transfer was not observed in crystal obtained by the micropulling-down method.

Nanopowders of Y 2 O 3 pure, doped and codoped by Nd 3+ , Yb 3+ were obtained by sol-gel method. Solution with ethylene glycol was choosed as the proper solution where crystallites of powder with Nd and Yb dopants had the same size. Finally the one-phased compounds of Y 2 O 3 doped 0.5 at% Nd and 1, 2 or 4 at% Yb were obtained. Grain growth and their morphology were investigated in various temperature and time of heating. The changes of crystallite sizes and lattice constants in relation to the heating time and temperature for the composition Y 2 O 3 doped 0.5 at% Nd and 2 at% Yb are presented. Y 2 O 3 containing 0,5 at% of Nd exhibits intense luminescence bands centered at 920 nm, 1100 nm and 1360 nm whereas a single band at about 1020 nm appears in samples co-doped with neodymium and ytterbium. Luminescence spectra recorded did not depend on the sample preparation procedure and size of grains. OH impurity affects critically the relaxation dynamics of luminescent ion in nanopowders.

The structural and optical features of gallium gadolinium garnet (GGG) nanopowders doped with neodymium were investigated. Nanopowders of GGG:Nd were prepared by modified sol-gel method using acetic acid as complexing agent. This way permitted to incorporate large amounts of dopant (up to 10 %) without destroying garnet structure. Small single crystals of Nd:GGG were grown by a µ-pulling down method and spectroscopic features of nanopowders and their single crystal counterparts were compared. It has concluded that the Nd 3+ ions are located preferentially in the same type of sites in crystal lattices of GGG:Nd nanopowders and their single crystal counterparts. In addition, it follows from the perfect agreement of emission wavelengths and line width recorded for nanopowders and single crystal samples that the crystal lattice of GGG in nanopowders is not distorted.

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The nanocrystalline powders of Y 4 Al 2 O 9 (YAM) pure and doped by Nd, Yb and codoped by Nd and Yb were obtained via modified sol-gel method. These powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction method, scanning electron microscopy and high resolution scanning electron microscopy, luminescence spectroscopy and differential thermal analysis (DTA). We obtained single phase powders of crystalline structure with average size 70 nm exhibiting interesting luminescent properties. Efficient non-radiative energy transfer between Nd and Yb was found. DTA confirmed the phase transition at about 1400 °C. From these nanocrystalline powders, the crystals YAM:Yb, YAM:Yb,Nd were grown by micro-pulling down technique. They were cracking during cooling owing to the phase transition. Luminescent properties of YAM:Nd,Yb crystals were identical with properties of corresponding nanopowders within experimental incertitude.