Abstract.
We investigate the fundamental properties of films resulting from the deposition of Eu3+ doped Gd2O3 clusters. We first report that the crystalline structure of clusters with diameter as low as 2.8 nm is still BCC (as in the bulk phase at ambient temperature and pressure). No phase transition to monoclinic structure is observed. We show that contamination from air (formation of hydroxide) is important and leads to the modification of the luminescence of the Eu3+ ions. Furthermore, films protected from this contamination have been fabricated and show a new feature (broad peak at 625 nm). It means that contamination is not the only mechanism responsible for the modification of the light emission spectrum. The crystal field symmetry breaking induced by the surface also plays a major role. Eventually, we show that the widening of the optical gap continues for these very small clusters. We discuss this effect in the frame of the quantum confinement model.
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Masenelli, B., Mélinon, P., Nicolas, D. et al. Rare earth based clusters for nanoscale light source. Eur. Phys. J. D 34, 139–143 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2005-00104-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2005-00104-y