Simultaneous broadband near-infrared emission and magnetic properties of single phase Ni2+-doped β-Ga2O3 nanocrystals via mediated phase-controlled synthesis

Abstract

Monodisperse rice-like Ni²⁺-doped β-Ga₂O₃ nanostructures were phase-controllably synthesized via a hydrothermal route and subsequent calcination. The detailed phase, composition and morphology were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), which showed that the rice-like β-Ga₂O₃ nanostructures were assembled with nanorods with a diameter of ∼50 nm along their entire length. The phase formation and transition behavior of β-Ga₂O₃ nanocrystals were investigated, and a possible crystal growth mechanism for the rice-like GaOOH nanostructure was proposed. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra indicated that Ni²⁺-doped β-Ga₂O₃ phosphors exhibit a broadband near-infrared emission (1200–1600 nm). Besides, the magnetic properties were also investigated, revealing the ferromagnetic nature of the Ni²⁺-doped β-Ga₂O₃ nanocrystals. The single phase Ni²⁺-doped β-Ga₂O₃ nanocrystals endowed with optical and magnetic bifunctional properties have promising potential application in the fields of optical communication, biological diagnosis and magnetic information storage, etc.